Trials and Tribulations
by delia Lawson
Summary: Set two years after "Moments and Memories". When the body of someone close to the group shows up Brennan must come back to lab to solve the case and return an important favor to a dear friend
1. Chapter 1

1

It was colder outside the city, with out the buildings to block the wind. Early November rain fell around Angela Montenegro as she walked down the gravel walkway to the large white house. She did not get out here to often, not only was the traffic on the bridge a pain, but it was a good forty-five minutes from her apartment.

She pulled her shawl-collared cardigan tighter around her tiny body, wondering why she picked leggings and a skirt to wear rather than heavy pants. She felt her skin prickle as the wing blew her long curly brown hair around her face. Making a run for it she finally stepped under the stone archway the led to the Booth's front door.

Her best friend, Dr. Temperance Brennan-Booth, had built the house about a year ago, needing another tax shelter after the success of the book she wrote during her pregnancy. That was the last book she had written and had stayed on the top ten bestsellers list for the last two years. She had been amazed by the responses her personal touches had evoked, her publisher was begging for more, wanting to strike while the iron is hot, but she had told Angela that there was not another story in her at the moment.

In fact there was not much forensics in her at all any more. She had quit her job at the Jeffersonian just after Michael, her son, was born. It had changed her, not being around death on a daily basis. She had a new softness about her, one that Angela liked to be around. It seemed to erase the harsh light of reality that she faced working in the lab everyday.

It was still hard for her, with out Brennan around. Harder for her to deal with the destruction of human life with out the careful detachment her friend had provided. She instinctively felt more, handled more, and was part of it more. The anthropologist that took over was good, havening been trained by Brennan herself, but he was not her, nor did he have the credentials she did to back herself up. It was only a matter of time before he was gone though, Brennan would come back eventually. At least that was what Angela was banking on.

It was hard to decide which Brennan she wanted more, the strangely serene mother, who offered her a loving home to seek refuge in, or the ball busting woman with cool detachment from everything. Perhaps if there was any way to have both, that was what she wanted. She wanted her friend back in the worst way.

She raised her hand to knock, hearing her small wrap on the heavy wooden door. It was only seconds before two deep brown eyes were peering at her out of the sidelights, a tiny face pressed against the glass, straining to see who was there. She waived, smiling at the little boy as his eyes lit up. It never ceased to amaze her, how happy he was to see her all the time. It was so welcoming, so kind. She loved being a part of this family, getting to see the inner workings of something so nuclear that it almost existed only on TV.

It only took a second for the large door to swing open and for two small arms to wrap around her legs. That serenity she sought so desperately found her.

"Angela, come in you will freeze." Seeley Booth's deep voice warmed her in an instant as he ushered her and his pajama clad son into the house. He reached out, pulling her into a welcoming hug, reminding her once more why she liked the Booth household so much.

"Hey you," She responded with the same warmth, trying to take a step with the toddler attached to her leg.

"Hey Bud, let Angela through." Booth laughed, leaning down to extract his son from her leg and hoisting him over his shoulders and around his neck. The boy let out a squeal of delight from his newfound height as they made their way down the hall. Angela followed, closing the door behind her.

The hallway from the door was short, leading into a brightly lit open floor plan. The large plasma screen TV that had once taken up a whole wall in their previous apartment now looked small paired with the tall panel windows that opened to a view of brilliant evergreens. The smell of cooking food hit her as she stepped onto the plush beige carpet, making her way around the large floating staircase that led to the four bedrooms upstairs.

Brennan was in the kitchen, surveying the contents of the fridge. Angela watched her extract a carton of orange juice from its spot on the shelf and shut the door tightly. She was still disheveled from sleep, her new shorter hair was messy, sticking out a little, and her oversized t-shirt concealed her slim frame. It was hard to relate the woman in front of her to the woman she had been friends with all these years. Her voice was the same and logic held strong, still guiding her every move. Visually though, she looked like every other mom Angela had seen in sitcoms. Her hair was chin length, and usually a tad out of place, she always carried two very large bags with her that contained anything and everything she could think of, and there was almost certainly a toddler attached to her hip. A miniature version of her husband that went everywhere with her. She longed for type of chaos that Brennan had in her life, her days spent running around after someone, cleaning up constantly, reading them to sleep at night. She wanted something to consume her life, something more pure than the death and destruction that he helped to put right again.

"Hello Angela," Brennan greeted her warmly, a smile breaking across her blissful face.

"Hey, sorry to drop by unannounced, I was just in the neighborhood." She blushed; perhaps she should have called first. That idea had never occurred to her until now, when she could smell the sausage cooking and see the disarray that came with Saturday morning in the Booth household.

"I see," Brennan, said her eyes narrowing, looking her best friend over. "Would you like some breakfast?"

Angela wanted to say no, but she could not ignore the smell of the pancakes wafting towards her. Her stomach growled loudly and she cursed herself for not eating before leaving her apartment. She simply nodded; Booth was already setting her a place at the large wooden table. She never thought she would see the day when Temperance Brennan would be having Saturday morning breakfast family style. The image was strangely comforting to her.

It was an uneventful gathering, with light chatter and Brennan correcting Michael every so often. Booth usually rolled his eyes, laughing lightly when his son tossed several sticky cheerios at his overbearing mother. She had looked angry at first, and then burst into laughter herself. Her aura less tense these days, more of a go with the flow vibe. Angela was not sure if it was Booth or Michael that deserved the credit for that particular feet, either way it was nice, it made her seem younger.

"If you would stop hounding him he wouldn't do that, Bones." Booth said, through his own laughter.

"He learns very easily right now. Taking the time to instill the correct behaviors and mannerisms will be beneficial to his cognitive skills later in life." She said, shooting her husband a glare.

" I can tell you that he has no idea what you just said, because I don't have a clue and I am almost forty." Booth said, shaking his head and getting up from the table to clear their empty plates. " I miss the days of take out, clean up was so much easier."

"Those days are over now hot stuff, you can't feed the two year old Tai food and expect anything good to come of it." Ange laughed, taking a few plates in her own hands and following him into the kitchen.

Setting them in the sink she turned on the faucet, letting the water warm before rinsing it them off and placing them in the empty dishwasher. It was so easy to fall into their routine, the movement of their family and easy going feelings that washed over her in their large warm home. Nothing about this place resembled the museum like décor of their apartment, they had clutter and toys and videos strewn about. There was a basket of unfolded laundry to her left by the dryer. It was a beautiful mess.

"Angela, you are the guest, you don't have to do that." Booth said, setting another round of dishes beside her.

" It's the least I can do." She said warmly, loading the new round into the dishwasher. Booth just shrugged, knowing better than to argue with the women in his life, it rarely ended in his favor.

"Booth, take Michael upstairs, he needs to get dressed." Angela heard Bren's voice carry into the kitchen and over the running water. She knew that it was ploy to get them alone, she had seen the questions forming in her best friends eyes since she got there.

"Come one little man" Booth said as Angela heard giggling, then the heavy weight of his footsteps on the stairs.

"So what's going on, Angela?" Brennan's voice startled her, causing her to jump, splashing the water all over the granite counter top.

"Brennan! Do not sneak up on people like that." She gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. Her friend stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, staring at her. There was no emotion to the fact that she had just scared her half to death. Brennan, despite the mom exterior, was still clinical with others.

"Sorry, now tell me." She came over to the sink reaching below to extract a box of soap tablets. Placing one in the slot she used her hip to close the wide dishwasher door, then locked it and started it. Wordlessly she pulled the two mugs from the counter top, and topped them off with fresh coffee, handing Angela's to her before leading her to the living room.

Dropping down on the large leather sofa, She curled her feet up underneath her, cradling the large mug in both hands. She placed her face near the large brim letting the aroma drift over her, comforting her. She missed this most of all, sitting in Brennan's office with coffee in her hands, dispensing advice as needed.

"Are things alright at the lab? Is there a tough case?" Brennan asked, taking a sip of her mug.

"Nothing more than usual, I miss you though. You should come back, I know part of you misses the thrill." She said trying to dance around her own discontentment. She was not even sure what had possessed her to get up early on a Saturday and drive the all the way here, she just knew that she needed to.

" I do miss it, I've contemplated it when Michael starts school. I just feel like my place is here. Plus look at me, no one would believe that I am one of only fifty forensic anthropologist in the world; I look like a tourist at Disney World. If you thought the lab could smell bad, I smell like diaper wipes, all the time." Her friend shook her head, chuckling at her self. It was the first time that Angela realized how much her friend had settled into family life, like it had always come naturally to her.

" You are a hot mess, Sweetie" Angela laughed, plucking a cheerio out of Brennan's messy bob.

" Thanks, Michael was hiding it for later."

"We will give him a fresh one, he'll never know." They both smiled and took sips of their coffee. It was nice, having an adult conversation for once. Brennan did not have that luxury most of the time. Michael was incredibly smart, but his age left him with somewhat limited vocabulary skills. Most of the time only Booth could figure out what he wanted.

She looked at Angela, trying to figure out what was wrong, why her friend had braved the cold just to have coffee on her couch. She had to admit, it had been awhile since she had gotten into the city to see her, and perhaps they were both overdue for a little bonding time.

"Mommy!" A little yelp interrupted as two arms thrust themselves between her and her coffee. Laughing she switched hands and wrapped to other around her small son. It had seemed like dream, having him in her arms the night he was born. Through all of the bed rest and the drama he had been the glorious ending she was never expecting. He had changed her life, making her a whole person. She loved him in ways she never thought she could. He was her little miracle, one that she never stopped to rationalize.

" Hey you, are you all dressed for today?" She asked him, his shiny clueless eyes stared back at her. A slow nod came from the small shaggy brunette. Ah, to be that young, that clueless about the real horrors that lurked in the night. It was an innocence that she wanted, that she could feel just by being near him.

" Hey Bud, let Mom alone." Booth called out, coming into the room carrying a small hoodie and two tiny shoes.

" Going somewhere?" She asked looking at him with her arm still around Michael's tiny body.

" The park? We thought it would be nice to let you two catch up." Booth said with a lazy smile.

" Booth, it's cold out, he could get sick." Angela said, feeling guilty that they were changing their plans on account of her presence.

" Actually the cold does not give you illnesses, germs do. The cold air just makes it harder for you body to fight them off. It's a common misconception." Brennan said, trying to keep the hot coffee away from little hands.

"Still, there is no need to leave because of me." She said reaching out and taking the boy from Brennan, having set her own coffee cup down on the counter.

" We are not changing anything for you, Ange. You are always welcome." Brennan said standing up and heading back to the kitchen with both mugs. Booth came and took his son from her, sitting in Brennan's spot, putting his little shoes on and pulling a hoodie over his reluctant head.

"Booth, don't keep him out to long, it is pretty chilly." The mothering tone in Brennan's voice made them both smile.

"Don't worry, Bones, I –" The shrill sound of his phone stopped the conversation cold. Suddenly everyone looked at each other, waiting as it continued to ring.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Booth handed Michael off to Brennan before picking up the offensive device vibrating in his pocket. He flipped the small piece of plastic open with a shake of his head and the bark of his last name into the receiver. His expression went blank as he continued to listen to the voice on the other end.

" This must be Perotta, he always looks annoyed when she interrupts us." Brennan said for Angela's benefit. The other woman just nodded her head, waiting.

Booth shook his head in an affirmative manner a little, said "yes" and " I understand" a few more times, then hung up. He turned he eyes to meet Brennan's, knowing that she already knew what he was about to say.

" Where is the body?" She asked, her eyes glancing at the door in the kitchen, the one that led to their three-car garage. He could see the look on her face; the one of longing that was always there when he was called away. He knew that she missed their partnership; she missed careful chemistry it used to give them. It was the reason that they had their life now, having laid the groundwork on which they built their marriage. You could take the woman out of the lab, but you could not take the lab out of the woman.

"Parker County, just about twenty minutes from here. I am going to head over there and meet Perotta at the scene." He said standing up, leaning over to drop a kiss in her lilac scented hair. "I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear before straightening him self-back up.

"There is no need, go solve a murder." She said, that longing was back making Booth smile. It was so awkward for him, not being able to tell her things about the case, they way he used to. On more than one occasion he would find himself slipping, saying far too much out of a habit that several years had not broken for him. After finishing his good byes he grabbed his coat and the car keys, then made his way out the door, to meet Perotta.

"My god Brennan, there are times when that man can be so… ooo." Angela said with a careful smile and a little shake of her shoulders.

"He is a great father, and does a wonderful job in his role as a provider and mate." She said setting her son down and letting him pick up a plastic fire truck.

"Part of that man still screams, 'take me to bed or lose me forever.' I am actually fighting jealousy right now. What I would not give to know what your sex life is like." Angela said, laughing.

" It is very fulfilling, far much more than adequate I would say. For having a lot of shyness in talking about sexual situations and intimate parts, I would say that Booth is very well skilled."

"Sweetie, you are managing to make it sound boring."

" Not at all, quite the opposite. In fact sometimes when Michael goes to bed early we –"

"Alright enough sharing," Angela said holding her hands up in an effort to silence the comment she was about to hear.

" You asked me, I was just answering you question." Brennan said with a confused and frustrated expression.

"Yes, but one of us does not have such a fulfilling sex life right now, and they would like to not wish harm on you out of pure jealousy." Angela said with a laugh. Some things, no matter what the location, never changed.

*****

Booth step out of his large SUV and into a giant pile of mud. He groaned loudly, looking at his newly ruined work boots and the faded jeans that covered them. These were the cases where he really missed Brennan. She never had issues with getting down and dirty, always ready to traipse through whatever mess someone had left a mangled body in. No wonder Perotta had told him not to dress nicely, he would have been far angrier if one of his twelve hundred dollar suits had been the victim.

" It took you long enough, Booth." Perotta looked at him with annoyance all over her pretty features. Her long blonde hair was pulled away from her heart shaped face in a messy ponytail, much like the ones Brennan used to wear at crime scene. Usually she would pull her hair up as they were walking from the car to investigate the body. It was one of her adorable habits that Booth missed.

"I can only go so fast, they do have such a thing as speed limits." He said, his own mood darkening. This was the last place he wanted to be and her attitude was not helping.

"Well, these people," she said, pointing to the team sifting through the mud from the Jeffersonian, " will not tell me anything. As usual they are waiting for you."

Her annoyance was clear now; she had been on the brunt end of the squints anger ever since Brennan left. It had been hard on them them, losing their team mate that abruptly, and they needed an outlet. They chose to blame Perotta, deciding that if she were not around, Brennan would be. Booth had needed to be the go between for them ever since. He was the only one they would work with, and they were not shy about sharing that little fact.

" I'll go talk to them." He said with a shake of the head. He was not in the mood to be the middleman today. Right now he was supposed to be in the park with his son. Instead he was drudging in the cold through a muddy field to act as the peacemaker between the two organizations.

" Hey Wendell," He called to the intern that had ended up taking Brennan's place. He had always liked him; they even played on the same recreational hockey team, and caught a beer after work on occasion. Of course that happened fewer and farther in between since he had moved out of the city.

"Hey Boss, How's it going." Finally someone was pleasant today. Booth was fairly sure that he was not going to get that welcoming from anyone else around here at the moment. It made his job a little easier.

"What have we got?"

" A man, late sixties I imagine. There are three parts of him, the first is over there by that pole, and the other two are here. I found the skull and it's in pretty good shape. I am confidant that Angela can get an accurate facial reconstruction from it." He said with a sigh.

"Good, why did you not share that with Perotta?" Booth struggled to hide the irritation from his voice.

"To be honest sir, we just do not like her. She is short with us and just to pushy. I do it mostly to irritate her." Wendell said, looking at Booth like a brother in arms.

"Yeah, well due to the chain of command, if you irritate her, she irritates me, and I'm not alright with that. So try to make an effort." He said with a nod.

" Sure, yeah, I will."

" Great. Alright let's get this mess back to the Jeffersonian." Booth said making a wrap it up motion with his hands as he crawled out of the muddy hole and back towards his partner.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Angela sat in her office staring at the skull in front of her. There was something oddly familiar about it. She sketched mindlessly, her hands just knowing where to go. It only took a few moments for the image to come together, all of the light pencil marks forming a picture. She felt her fingers shaking as the pencil fell to the floor. She looked into the eyes of someone so familiar that they took her breath away.

This had to be a mistake; there was no way that was correct. Clearly there was an error in placement of the tissue markers. She was not staring into the face of the victim, she could not be. Suddenly she felt bile rise her he throat.

She threw the pad to the floor, pages flying as it went. Just barley making it, she reached her trashcan, empting her stomach into the metal container. Her chest heaved heavily, tears slid from the side of her eyes. She needed to get out of here, away from the drawing, somewhere to clear her head.

She stood up, pulled her coat from the back of her chair, and took off. Stopping only to apologetically alert a janitor that her trashcan needed emptied. She felt slightly guilty that he did not know what he was walking into, but the level of emotional distress seemed to top everything else.

She did not know how she managed to get into the car or even recollect the drive. All she knew was that she was suddenly standing in front of the large white house with shaky hands and the taste of her own vomit still in the back of her throat. Taking several deep breaths she took a step. Her legs felt heavy and her lungs felt constricted. Breathing was taking all of her effort as she staggered up the steps, ringing the doorbell and letting herself fall to pieces.

That was how Brennan found her, clasped and choking on her front porch. Her long brown hair in her face, tears plastering the strands to her cheeks. She reacted, the mothering instinct in her kicking into overdrive. She pulled her friend into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

"Angela?" Brennan knelt before her, surveying her stance, trying to get a clear view of her eyes. The crumpled woman on the floor was catatonic, slipping slowly into shock and worrying her. She reacted quickly, getting up from the floor and running into the kitchen. She glanced at her son still sitting on front of the TV clapping along, oblivious to the urgency if the situation.

Picking up her phone, she pressed it to her ear, after jabbing the first speed dial. She pulled a glass out of the cabinet and held it under the faucet.

" Hey Bones," His voice sounded smooth and rushed. She could hear the slight pick up in his tone as he uttered her name.

"Booth, I have Angela here. She is in shock, I do not know what happened." It came out in a rush as she carried the glass of water toward Angela's body, still in a panting heap on the floor.

" Oh thank God. I got a call from Cam about twenty minutes ago. She said that one of the maintenance people came into her office complaining about vomit in Angela's trash can and Angela was no where to be found. She called her cell but got no answer and no one knew she had left. She was freaking out." She heard him shuffle the phone to his other ear, and the rustling of papers in the background.

" She just showed up on the door step completely non-responsive. She won't even answer me when I call her name." Brennan said reaching out to push Angela's bangs away from her flushed face.

" Is she hurt?"

" Not that I can see, just in shock."

" Take her to the hospital. I'll tell Cam that we found her and that she is alright, then I'll meet you there." He said his voice softening.

" I am afraid for her, she seems to be getting worse as time goes on." Brennan said, her voice shaking.

" It will be alright Bones, I promise. Just get her to the hospital." Booth's voice was a comfort to her, allowing her to think clearly. She whispered her goodbye, before reaching out to pull her friend up from the wooden flooring.

It was a struggle to get her into the car, half dragging her through the house and into the garage. It took every ounce of strength to get Angela's dead weight into the passenger side of her small SUV. Once she had buckled her silent friend in the car she ran back into the house gathering things for Michael.

The boy seemed to sense his mother's urgency, sitting still in front of the dancing cartoons, but his eyes following her movements. He did not even fight when she approached him with a coat, pulling it around him before picking him up. She grabbed his tiny shoes, throwing them into the larger brown leather bag she used to carry his things, before slinging that and her purse over her other shoulder.

She buckled him in, grateful that he seemed to understand the need for silence, before pulling herself into the drivers side. There were no normal after thoughts as she pulled pit and made her way to the freeway. She did not even think about the untouched glass of water on the floor or if she had remembered to lock the front door. The only thing she could focus on was getting Angela to the hospital and figuring out what the hell was going on.

******

Booth was already there, waiting with open arms to take Angela's slack body from the passenger side. He reached into his wife's Honda and plucked the woman out as if she only weighed a few ounces, before nodding to Brennan and allowing her to drive around into the parking lot.

The ER was crowded; people were waiting in groups, conversing in their various states of unwell. Booth hated the hospital. Spending time here was an occupational hazard, one that he had managed to avoid for almost a year. Yet here he was again, carrying a non-responsive woman in for admittance. Cam was already at the desk, talking with the nurse, she nodded towards them and in the same breath Angela was out of his arms and being whisked away behind the scenes.

" Does anyone know what happened?" He asked, trying to put pieces together that did not make sense.

"Not a clue. Hodgins said she was sitting in her office about to start a facial reconstruction on the victim from the mud pit the last time he saw her. Then almost an hour later the janitor is yelling at me about vomit in a trash can and Angela is missing."

" Bones said she found her on the front porch like that. She would not blink or respond at all. Something pretty major had to have caused it." He said crossing his arms.

" I suspect some sort of emotional trauma," Brennan's voice caused the pair to turn, noticing her for the first time. She stood there with Michael resting on her hip and two large bags hanging from her shoulders.

" Bones, where are his shoes?" Booth asked taking his son from her, watching her dig through the leather diaper bag. She easily produced two tiny Nike sneakers, displaying them in her palm.

" Why are they not on him?" Booth asked plucking them from her and moving to sit down so he could put them on.

" I was in a hurry, I was going to put them on when we got here." She said innocently, curious as to why he was so exasperated, assuming that it must have something to do with the situation at hand.

" Hello, people, let's focus on Angela." Cam said, trying to hide her amusement at Brennan's parenting skills.

"Did anyone check her phone to see if she received any calls before she left? Perhaps something upset her." Brennan said, pulling a sippie cup from the bag and handing it to Booth.

" She has the phone with her. I don't know, I guess we just wait." Cam sighed and plopped down into the open plastic seat opposite Booth. A strange silence fell among them, each trying to focus on anything other than what was going on. Trying to solve a puzzle that was missing all the pieces in their head.

They were so lost in their own thought that Booth jumped when his phone went off, startling his son. Michael's wail jostled Brennan as she reached out to take him, while Booth located the offending object.

" Booth." He barked, annoyed in general and the situation.

" Booth, It's Hodgins. The only thing I found in Angela's office was her sketchpad on the floor. The pages were all flipped around so I don't even know which one she was working on. I'm sorry man." Hodgins' voice sounded cloudy and distant, as if his mind were elsewhere.

" It's alright, I am at the hospital now, they admitted her about twenty minutes ago. We will just have to wait and see what she says I guess." He said before hanging up the phone. The last thing he wanted was a trail of squints in the ER asking him or Brennan a dozen questions.

" Bones, sit down." He said scooting over unnecessarily so that she could sit to his left, one arm resting over the back of the chair. For once she did so wordlessly, bouncing their son on her knees. Everyone was tense, and the tension only mounted as time went on.


	4. Chapter 4

4

It was late, they had been at the hospital for hours. Booth's entire arm was numb from the weight of his wife's body pressed up against him. His son slept peacefully, balanced on her chest. All they knew was that Angela was stable and she was asleep. There was no idea about when she would wake up or what had caused her manic episode. To make matters worse as the day had trickled on the entire lab had made it's way to the small waiting room, taking up chairs, forming a sizable group.

"Want some coffee?" Perotta stood over him, her long hair floating around her shoulders and her right hand extending a cup of steaming Joe out to him. She looked like an angelic waitress about to give him much needed fuel.

"Thank you. When did you get here?" He took the cup and took a sip, careful so as not to disturb his family.

" A little while ago. I am anxious to see what is so scary about this facial reconstruction that is sent her into a manic episode." And just like that the cattiness returned and Booth was once more annoyed.

" You know the reason they do not like you is because you say things like that." He said taking another sip.

" Yeah, Yeah, Color me surprised. They should not be so sensitive." She said taking the seat oh his other side, the one Cam had just recently vacated. She was sitting a few seats over whispering quietly to Lance Sweets, Booth and Brennan's FBI assigned shrink and the official profiler in their pocket.

" Booth, something smells good." Brennan's voice drew his attention from his surly partner and back to his waking wife. Things had been so much easier when the only woman in his life was Brennan. He missed the good old days.

" Perotta brought me some coffee, would you like some?" He asked as she carefully sat up, adjusting Michael so he would not do the same. As soon as her weight left his arm the tingles were there. The bloods rushing back through his sleeping limb felt like pins and needles and he clenched and unclenched his fist. Neither one noticing the look his offer evoked from Perotta.

" No, I need to stand up, maybe walk around." She remained in her seat through, under the weight of her slumbering son.

" Tell me about it." Perotta piped up, not so silently. This time Brennan was aware of the agent to Booth's left and she was not amused at all but her comments.

"What was that?" Brennan said, her tone was authoritative and direct.

" I assume that you should be getting that child home." Perotta said with icy sweetness. Brennan's eyes narrowed, her murderous gaze fixated on the pretty woman next to her husband. Booth and the baby being the only things stopping her from going off, she suddenly remembered why Booth was the only person she could work with from the FBI. The other agents were clearly not competent.

"His name is Michael." It was Booth who swept in, defending his wife, drawing surprise from her.

"Right, he's adorable. Is it really the wisest thing though , to have him around all of these sick people? Have a nice night Dr. Brennan." Perotta said, her gaze fixated on Booth, her hand dismissing Brennan with a wave.

" I will decide what is and is not safe for my son. If you have a problem with that, Agent Perotta, then you can take that up with someone who gives a damn." Brennan said shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Perotta had been thorn in her side for to long. The women had not seen eye to eye in almost two years. In fact the only thing they agreed on was how attractive Booth was, a topic that did not encourage a friendly atmosphere.

" Dr. Brennan?" Luckily a nurse pulled her attention away, stopping the argument that was surly brewing. She sighed in relief and re-positioned her son so that he would not be disturbed when she stood. Booth handed Perotta his cup and reached for the sleeping toddler. At least Brennan would always have the satisfaction of Booth choosing her over Perotta, as well as the amusing memory if the death glare the blonde woman shot her way.

"Yes? Is she awake?" Brennan was at the nurse's side in a heartbeat.

" She is asking for you, and you only. Come with me." The nurse said looking the disheveled woman up and down. It was hard to equate the person in front of her, with her favorite crime novelist, it was almost funny in some small way.

The corridor that led back to Angela's room was long and bathed in yellow light. All around her doctors rushed past and people tried to get her attention. It seemed like forever until she reached a little room at the end with the light on. Angela sat in the center of a bed waiting nervously, looking rapidly from the door to the window.

"Angela?" Brennan called, gaining her full attention.

"Brennan, I am so sorry." Her hands were still shaking, her movements still quick and nervous.

" You are safe, Angela. Can you tell me what happened?" Brennan took a seat on the bed looking at her friend with concern and fear.

" You can not tell anyone. They can not know." She made no sense, her words came out jumbled together.

"Who?" Brennan asked, trying to pin down her darting eyes.

"Cam, Booth, all of them. They will take me off the case, and if it is true, I need to know. I have to find out what happened." She looked to Brennan with tears in her eyes again.

"Angela, Calm down. Tell me what is wrong. What happened?"

" It's my father. My father is the body in the mud." Her resolve snapped and the tears fell down her cheeks. Brennan reached out and pulled her into a hug, not sure what to do, or how to respond. It was Angela who had once taught her the value of a friendly touch when words were too difficult. Ironic that she would be able to use to advice on the person who had dispensed it.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Angela sat on the Booth's large leather couch, her legs curled up underneath her and a fleece throw protecting her from the chill she felt deep in her bones. It had been three days since her breakdown and she had not left the comfort of the large white house once. Wearing yet another set of Brennan's clothes she took a sip of her twelfth cup of herbal tea. The warm bubble bath in the large Jacuzzi tub, the soothing music, her meditation, everything she had tried could not stop the empty feeling inside her. She could feel the despair eating away at her.

Cam had made her take the rest of the week off, pulling her from the case when the identity of father had come out. It was a secret that no one could keep, using his dentals to ID him. Hodgins had been the one to share the news with Cam, he had done so privately, or so he assured her. Still the others were not aware of the connection. She had to be removed from the case, having a personal connection to the victim had assured her of that. The truth was, she was not sure she would have been able to handle it either way. He may have been famous, he may have been a guitar genius, he may have been a perfect southern gentleman with a fierce instinct to protect his loved ones, but in her mind, he was always just her father. He was her link to the family, her saving grace in all the ways that little girls fathers were.

It killed her that she was not strong enough to bring the man responsible to justice, that she would not be able to handle the case even if she had the choice. Currently, things in that department were at a stalemate anyway. She had overheard Booth mention it to Brennan yesterday. She did not know the specifics, he could not tell her, not anymore, not since she left the lab. Brennan was always the one person Angela wanted on her side if there was a case she needed solved. Brennan was the best. Wendell was good, good enough to help the FBI, but Brennan was the best. She had taught him. She had made him, and she would always be better than him. She was the one people went to when they wanted results, and that was what Angela needed. She needed results.

"How are you feeling?" Brennan stood in doorway looking at her; Michael was resting on her hip, his little hands pulling at her clunky necklace. She was dressed, something Angela had not been for days, her bright red sweater and black tank matched well with her heeled boots and skinny jeans. She looked, for a moment like the old Brennan. Like the fiercely science driven woman Angela had befriended. That was the woman Angela wanted, the one who did not feel death or emotion, but rather looked for the basic science behind it all. She needed Brennan's cool detachment now more than ever as she shrugged, not really sure what her response should be.

"Well, Michael and I are going to the airport to get Parker, would you like to come?" Brennan tried again, hoping to jar her from the disturbing silence she had been consumed with the last few days.

"No, I'm good." He voice was flat, like an out of tune harp, playing a melody of silence and despair.

"Do you need anything? I was going to stop by the store." More prying, falling upon deaf ears.

"No." It was not rude, just a simple statement.

"Alright, I will be back shortly." Brennan turned to leave, picking up her two bags and tightening her arm around her son. It was Angela who called her back.

"Brennan?" The woman stopped, still poised to walk out the garage door.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." It was as though she had said a million words, actually only having said the two. Her meaning, her gratitude shone through in her teary eyes as her best friend shut the door and set Michael down for a moment. She was there, in front of Angela, looking into her eyes, a new softness that had never been there before in her expression.

"You do not have to thank me. This is only a small thing Booth and I can do for you after everything you have done for us, for me, we want to help you." Her voice was strong, not wavering once.

"I'm so disappointed in myself, I think that is the worst part of it all." a tear escaped her eyes as she looked into her empty mug.

"Why? You did nothing wrong. This is a lot to deal with, a lot to take in." Brennan said with a smile. When had she become so understanding? When had she become so... humane?

"I can't help him, I can't find the person that did this. I'm not strong enough to avenge his death." Saying it aloud made it real. It made the inadequacy she felt only one more emotion she could not control.

" You can not do everything. Sometimes it takes everything you have to move on, to pick yourself up out of bed every morning." Brennan's eyes were dark and Angela knew what she was saying, that she was trying to open herself up, to let her friend have some of the strength she needed to do just that.

"Do something for me?"

"Anything, you know that."

" Solve this case." It was a weighty request, one that would require pulling a few strings, the major ones being attached to Brennan's heart.

" Angela I don't work-"

" You are on indefinite sabbatical. You could go back anytime and just pick up where you left off." Brennan cursed herself for telling Angela the truth. The thing was, she had told everyone including her husband that she quit. When the reality of her decision kicked in though, she had second thoughts. What if she was making a mistake? Were being a wife, mother, and author really going to be enough for her? And so she had Cam, in the strictest of confidences, put her on an extended sabbatical. The result of which was that she could come back at anytime, no questions asked, with her full security clearance. It would be easy for her to waltz in, right under the red tape and solve this case. The problem was not whether or not she could do so, it was what would happened when she did.

What if she couldn't stop after that, what if she went back to long hours and dangerous situations? There was Michael now, and he needed a mother, not a nanny. She never wanted him to yearn for her the way she had yearned for her own mother. In truth, her decision to leave had been a way to compensate for losing her own family. It was important to her, that she be there for her son, or sons as time would have it. She knew that it would be hard, hard to walk away after realizing the reasons she loved her work once again.

The only thing that made her waiver on the issue was the look of desperation in Angela's eyes, the way she had asked. She was begging, pleading for this. It seemed like something so small in the great universe of their lives. Something that she should not even question. She was torn, between the scientist with the means to ease just a fraction of the pain Angela felt, and the mother she had worked so hard to become. She could feel the balance in her life topple over as she sat there, waiting for a sign. All it took was a look at the pain behind the brown eyes of her best friend. She had to do this, not for herself, but in spite of herself.

"I don't know." She looked away, wondering why she could just not relent and do it.

" Bren, you are the best, and quite honestly, my father deserves the best. At least if I know that I cannot do this, you can and you will do it correctly. I trust you Bren, and I need to have that trust."

"Alright, I'll talk to Cam. Look, I have to go or I will be late getting Parker. Are you sure you won't come with us?" She asked, feeling her resolve cave, knowing that she would do it.

"No. I'm not really dressed to go out." Angela said, her thanks shining through in her eyes. It was all Brennan needed to see to know she was making the right choice, at least that's what she hopped it meant.

Brennan nodded, getting up from her crouched position and making her way over to Michael. She scooped him up, sighing with relief at his heavy weight in her arms. She needed to look for that balance again, had to have it to function. In her silence she made her way to the Honda, he mind a million miles away.

**********

"Hey, Dr. B!" Hodgins was by her side in a heartbeat, reaching out to hug her around the toddler on her hip. She leaned in, accepting his sincere greeting warmly.

"Hello Hodgins. How are things going?" She needed the small talk, anything to distract her.

" Frustrating to say the least, there is no news on Angela or a break in the case. I see you have the whole gang with you today." Hodigns said looking up to notice the eldest Booth child making his way to Brennan's side. Parker was taller than the last time he had seen him. His shaggy blonde curls were shorter, and tamed in a more stylish fashion. He had lost some of the boyishness that Hodgins had become so used to seeing, in a way he looked more like Booth.

"I just picked Parker up from the airport, he has been in Texas with his mother for the last two weeks." Brennan clarified, her eyes darting from Hodgins to the platform.

"Ah, home for the Holidays?" He directed the question to the eleven year old in front of him, rather than the distracted woman looking past his head.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back. Texas is nice and all, but I like DC better." He reasoned. He sounded like a miniature adult, his vocabulary having tripled since living with Booth and Brennan. His biological mother had moved to Texas for a job right before they had Michael, leaving Parker as a permanent fixture in their home. He still took frequent trips down there to see her, but he looked most comfortable here in DC.

"Hodgins, is Cam around?" Brennan asked, oblivious to the conversation going on beside her.

"She is in the autopsy lab with Booth, They were going to open up Angela's dad today." He said pointing towards her office, a note of sadness in his voice.

"Thank you, ummm could the boys stay with you for a second?" She looked anxiously over his shoulder, her eyes fixed on the door he was pointing to.

"Sure, I was just doing an isotope analysis, I bet they would find that interesting..." He said with a smile as she nodded her thanks and started off towards Autopsy. Stopping suddenly she jerked around, her eyes hard on him.

"Keep them away from the platform." She said he head nodding to Wendell on the large platform above them and the bones in his hand. Hodgins swallowed hard at her tone and then scooped up Michael before leading the boys to his own workstation where the most exciting thing they would see today were sludge and insects.

Brennan was quick on her feet, making her way towards the closed double doors with a purpose. She had little butterflies in her stomach, feeling the emptiness toss and turn as she made her way to face the two people on her agenda today. It seemed fitting that they should both find out together. She had avoided this for so long, even after the longing for it had started again. The main reason, despite the excuses she gave herself, was the fact that it would not be the same. This would not be the same situation, she and Booth were no longer partners. The thought of doing this again, with out doing it with him, held no interest for her.

Two sets of surprised eyes greeted her as she pushed the doors opened. Booth was leaning against Cam's desk, playing with a NERF ball she had no idea how he had procured. Cam was standing over Angela's father, his chest splayed open, the scalpel in her hand. She suddenly felt out of place in one of the few places she used to feel at home. This was not her world and had not been for a while.

"Hello, Dr Brennan." Cam said, wiping the shock from her expression and replacing it with welcome.

"Bones, I thought we were meeting at the restraunt." Booth said, his expression questioning. They had planned to meet for lunch to welcome Parker home. He looked at his watch to make sure he hadn't worked through it.

" I needed to talk with Cam, and with you as well. I want to come back, and I want to be assigned this case." She indicated the body in front of Cam.

"Bones what are talking about?" Booth was at her side, the NERF ball becoming a forgotten after thought. His eyes looked her over curiously. It dawned on him, there was something she had not told him about, something he did not even think to ask.

"Dr. Brennan, are you sure? I am not sure that I can render you inactive again if you change your mind." Cam set the scalpel down and looked to where Booth was standing, his expression confused, a slight anger in the corners of his eyes.

"I have to, Cam. I do not think I need to tell you why." Brennan responded, looking down at her feet. She was willing to do this, coming back to have only half of the pie, only for Angela. She owed this to her friend, knew it was the most efficient way to help her. She knew the actions would speak far louder than any words.

" Wait a second here, what is going on?" Booth's voice was furious, he had no tolerance for whatever these two women had kept for him. The fact that they had done so together only made it worse. It was the touch of his wife's warm fingers on his arm that pulled him back, calming him only slightly.

" It is only paperwork, Booth. There is nothing to be upset about." She said, her blue eyes meeting him, holding his gaze the way she had thousands of times.

"What is only paperwork?" His voice was soft, he leaned toward her, the way he used to when they would sit across from each other in the diner. He would get so close to her that he could feel her breath on his face, smell the lilac in her hair. He had longed to kiss her then, the way he did now, openly, freely and without regret.

"I did not resign after Michael, I couldn't." She said, her hand coming up to his scruffy cheek. He must have been running late, last nights stubble was still there scratching her smooth skin.

"But you told me it was what you wanted."

"It was, and I do not regret it. I still knew that someday, once Michael was a little older that I might want to come back. I spoke with Cam about the possibility of that happening. She insured me that I would always have a home here in the lab. The only thing was, resigning meant that I would lose my seniority, my authority and my security clearance. Booth, I worked for years to get those things, they are all part of what allows me the freedom to work well in this environment. She was able to convince the bored to grant me a sabbatical, the length of which was undetermined." She dropped her hand from his face, turning her gaze to Cam.

" Dr. Brennan is very well respected in this institution. It was not hard to get that much out of the board." Cam said, not sure how that would help, but hopping it did.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his eyes still pinned on his wife.

" I did not want you be tempted. I knew that you would ask me back in a heartbeat if you knew how easy it would be. I know how frustrating it is, having cases we cannot solve. I knew you would try to talk me into helping." She admitted.

"And that's bad? My wanting your brilliance in every aspect of my life is wrong somehow?" His voice rose, as did his temper. He was hurt, hurt by her words and her actions.

" No! It was not the fact that you would ask at all, it's the fact that I wouldn't say no. This, this excuse for what we have become in our working relationship, is not what I want. I'm not your partner anymore, Booth. Nothing I said or did would change that. This whole lifestyle, it holds nothing for me without you in it." They were almost yelling now, making Cam shift uncomfortably.

"Dr. Brennan if you will excuse me, I have to make some calls on your behalf." The other woman said, politely excusing herself from the room.

"This is not over Bones, you lied to me." Booth said, blocking her way from the door.

" Did not, I told you I was not coming back to work. I do not understand why you are so angry."

" Why not just tell me the truth? I would not have been mad if you did come back. You were the one who decided to become a stay at home mom. Why come back now?" He looked at her with anger and pleading in his eyes, hurt more that he was not in on the secret, on how easy it would have been to get her back into the lab.

"I'm doing this for Angela." She said, standing there, her arms crossed and her eyes staring directly in his. And Then, just like that, all of the anger over being kept out of the loop was gone, replaced with the gentle understanding that this was not her choice. This was a cross she would have to bear, something to help out a friend. His mind flashed back to their trip to the desert all those years ago, when they once again had to catch the murder of someone Angela loved. Her determination, her gentle understanding. It had been the moment when he realized who she really was, the moment he thought about loving her.

Now, nearly a decade later, that same woman stood before him. She was not the empirical scientist today. At the moment his wife was just doing something to help her best friend. It eased the anger a little, made things easier to digest. He reached out, touching her cheek, leaning in, he kissed her lightly. There was a long road ahead now, one that would be quite taxing for everyone involved, and suddenly he found himself right by her side in the middle. They were once more the center of everything, just the way it had always been, and the center must hold.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Angela was still wrapped in the warm fleece throw on the big leather couch a multitude of hours later. Booth and Brennan had both come home, so had the boys, both of which were playing on the floor in front of her. She watched them with sad eyes. They were both still so young and innocent. Parker looked older than he had before, looking more like Booth every day. He had the same deep eyes and charming smile. His shorter hair was gelled in the same spiky fashion that his father still wore. He even had that smooth, charming way about him, the instinct of what a woman would really want. Something he did not even know he would need for several more years.

The thought made Angela smile as she watched him flipping through the channels, a bored look settling on his features. He was going to break hearts one day, a thought she found amusing. That was the real allure of the Booth men, she could even see the same thing happening for little Michael someday. She laughed aloud again, her mind trailing to something she had told Brennan once, something about Booth oozing sexual tension. It was truly unfair that she got to have that every night. Angela's thoughts darkened then, leaving the children behind all together, focusing in on their father. She would put money down that he was a strong lover, he would have to be to sate Brennan. The woman was very clinical about some things, but Angela knew she had a strong sexual appetite.

Suddenly it dawned on her, like a ton of brick, she was a hop skip and a jump away from fantasizing about her best friends husband. That was not something she wanted to admit to, ever. She loved the Booth family, they were all she had now. They were her family, and yet she found her self-gravitating towards Booth in a way she never had before. It was a coping technique. Brennan would have shut that part of herself off, placing it into a box that was not to be disturbed. Angela however, wanted a good romp, she wanted to feel something just as intense as the pain in her heart.

Not that she would ever do that, not with her best friend's husband. That was what Booth had become, off limits by all the codes of girl law, but he was the only male of legal age that she had seen in days and he was so great to her, taking care of her. He was so sweet, perhaps more so than Brennan. He always knew what to say and how to say it. Not only would his children pick up good looks from their father, but he was breeding the last of the genuine "good guys" left in the world.

Frustrated and depressed, she threw the blanket off of herself and stood up. She needed to pull what little sanity she had left in her, and get away from everyone for just a bit. She needed to remover herself from the situation for a moment, get some fresh air. Her eyes flitted to the clock on the cable box, just after eight-thirty. Her gaze then traveled around, locating Brennan in the kitchen, wiping down the counter and talking quietly to Booth. She felt another wave of lust and knew she had to get out. Clearly her normal coping mechanism would not work here, clearly she needed another outlet.

"Brennan?" She said, taking a step in the couple's direction, running her hands through her matted hair. When had she last showered? Come to think of it, when had she last gotten up from the couch. She looked back, seeing the imprint of her body still in the leather. It was as if standing had cleared her foggy mind a bit, made her feel a little like a person. A person in need of a shower and fresh clothes.

"Are you alright, Angela?" Brennan's voice pulled her attentions back to the kitchen, back to the couple staring at her with worry in their eyes.

" Think I need a shower." She said, still not really following the thoughts flowing through her head. There was not fluidity to them, they popped in and out randomly, making her feel crazy.

"You are welcome to use the Jacuzzi, it might make you feel better." Her friend said, the look on her face one of undiluted worry.

"I think I would like that." That hallow quality in her voice was back, or had it never left in the first place? She could not remember what she was supposed to sound like.

Brennan was at her side, wordlessly ushering her up the stairs, stopping only to shoot her husband a look. Angela had no idea what was going on, however the look on his face told her he had understood completely. It did not matter anyway, She was making her way towards that giant floating staircase that led to the upper level of the house. Brennan was guiding her, one hand gently resting on her shoulders, and in that instant she was glad that she was not alone. The emotional roller coaster she had been riding was about to tank again, and this time it would help to have her best friend around to pick her back up.

She was silent and trembling slightly as she made her way through the dark master bedroom into the large attached bathroom. Brennan flicked on the lights, illuminating cream walls and black tile flooring. It was classic and comforting with a touch of old Hollywood class, a surprising contrast with her personality. In the center of the room sat a large white tub with a waterfall faucet. Brennan left her to stand there while she made her way over to the tub, turning in the square of steamy water and stopping the drain. She picked up a purple bottle from the edge of the tub and poured it into the stream, the scent of lilacs and honey took over the room, steam thickening the air. It started to appear foggy, mirroring the images in Angela's mind as she watched her friend move around, pulling out a plush yellow towel from under the sink.

Brennan set several bottles on the side of the tube and a fresh lofah out for her before she turned to make her exit, allowing Angela some privacy. She watched her friend turn to make her way out, to exit her in her time of need, and a lump formed in her throat. She needed company, perhaps a bath had not been the best Idea, and perhaps she should have asked for something to eat instead, something that would have lead to a socially acceptable situation for company.

"Brennan, please, I don't want to be alone. I need your shoulder." She whispered, stopping her in her tracks. Tears were pooling in her eyes, tears that had yet to come, being locked away in the coldness she had wrapped around herself. Death's cool arms held her tightly, whispering tragedy in her ear and clouding the confines of her mind. It was the last thing that Angela could deal with alone.

"I'll be right back, I'm just going to get you a drink. Go ahead and get in the tub alright?" Brennan's eyes met the cool irises behind Angela's hooded eyes. She smiled reassuringly, letting her know that everything would be alright eventually.

"Ok." The woman nodded and turned toward the tub, watching the water swirl in bubbles. She heard the door shut before pulling the shirt over her head and cringing. How long had she been in those clothes? Stripping them away, felt like with each article her defenses went away with it. If she had thought numbness was bad, she had a feeling that the onset of her downward spiral would be worse.

The scalding water burned her skin, leaving it red as she sank into the bubbles. They floated up around her, coming to cover her all the way up to her collar bones, the light scent wrapped it's warming arms around her, comforting her like a small child after a vicious nightmare. It was helpful, sort of holding her together in a way she did not understand just yet.

The silence in her mind was nice for a change. It made her focus a little easier, pin pointing the most acute source of her pain. Time held not meaning as she waited for her friend to show up, she just sat there, counting bubbles, letting her mind revert back to that of a child. Allowing her the innocence Michael had, erasing the past and making it anew. Wonder still filled her eyes, as she watched the swirls in the water.

That was how Brennan found her a few moments later, living in her fantasy world of childlike wonderment. The creak of the door snapped her head up, her eyes facing Brennan and the twp large glasses of blood red wine in her hands. She handed on off the Angela, taking a seat on the side of the tub, facing the her.

"Would you like to talk?" She asked, taking a pull of liquid from her large glass.

"I just don't want to feel alone." Angela held her own glass shakily to her lips.

" You aren't , Angela. We are here for you." Brennan said, her own face contorting for the pain of her friend.

" I know." She looked at the wine in her glass, steam from the water fogged it, warming her hands.

" I spoke with Cam. I am going into tomorrow to look at the body." Angela flinched at Brennan's cool and detached comments. She was trivializing her father, making him nothing more than a body on a steel table. The thought angered her despite the fact that she knew it was Brennan's way of coping. It was what made her the best in her field, and that what she had wanted wasn't it? She wanted the best.

" I'm sorry, that was disrespectful. I do not know what to say here, usually I would just ask you. I am very sorry, and I want to help you through this very much." Brennan said, taking another sip of her own glass.

" I know, Sweetie. It's just... hard. It's harder than anything else. This is not something I can get away from." Angela's voice was soft, distant, her eyes held a sadness that Brennan had never seen there before. It scared her, not being able to comfort the grieving woman in front of her. In an instant she wished Booth were here, whispering in her ear like her own personal Cyrano, telling her what to say and how to offer her comfort. The worst part of this whole thing was that now, Brennan was on her own.

* * *

" She looked so empty inside." Brennan said, pulling the heavy quilt higher over her body. There was a chill deep inside her, one that she could not shake ever since her conversation with Angela earlier. The emptiness in her voice, her blank stare, it haunted Brennan, made her feel desperate and inadequate.

" She's dealing with a lot at once, Bones. You remember when we found your mother. Same rules apply, here. When it comes to parents all bets are off." Booth responded, sitting on the side of the bed, his eyes seeking out his wife's.

" I was never like that, just don't know how to help her."

"You are helping her the only way you can. Angela knows that, and she is appreciative." He said reaching out to steady her shaky hands.

" I had no idea what to say to her earlier, Booth. You would have said the right thing, known what to do. You have the compassion that I lack, the compassion that she needs." She said increasing the pressure on their linked hands.

"You are compassionate Bones, other wise we would not even be having this conversation."

" Are you still upset with me?" He words took him by surprise. He had not expected her to bring that up tonight, not after her clearly emotional ordeal with Angela.

" No, I understand." He said, scooting back and reaching out for her. She was still buried under the large quilt, the only thing visible were her eyes and the hand linked to his. "Where are you under all that blanket." He laughed.

"It's cold in here." The quilt inched a little further down revealing her hair splayed out on the pillow and her perfect face. Booth looked into her eyes, one of those longing gazes that they had perfected over their partnership. There had been a time, not that long ago when those gazes were all he had, just a look across a desk. He loved when her smile lit up her eyes, the same way it did when she looked up at him.

"You are right, you know." he said leaning out beside her, pressing his body into hers through the covers.

"I told you it was cold in here. Should we turn up the heat?" Booth's laughter caught her off guard.

" Not about the temperature in here, Bones. I mean you were right about me asking you to come back. I would have pressed it a lot if I had know how easy it would be. Working with Perotta, it's not like being with you. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the fights." He said, trying to tell her something that had no words.

" I know. You ever get the feeling like something is missing from our lives these days?" She said suddenly serious, her eyes meeting his.

"We have more than two people have the right to ask for." He said, though part of him knew what she meant. He agreed with her, not wanting to bring the issues to the surface.

"Do you think our marriage is getting stale?" She asked, her mind rejecting the words, her throat closing up.

" Jesus no!" He nearly shouted, recoiling as if she had smacked it. " Don't even say that."

"It is not unlikely that at some point we will become to comfortable and-"

" Shhh. That is not the problem, Okay? Our marriage is fine and I am incredibly happy, aren't you?" He asked putting a finger to her mouth, silencing the blasphemy that was about to pass her beautiful lips, lips that he saw in his dirtiest daydreams on a daily basis.

" Yes." She said simply, offering no other alternatives.

"Then there is nothing to worry about." He smiled wickedly, leaning it to kiss the same spot his finger had just been. She responded with careful pressure, running her tongue along his bottom lip, coaxing it to open, to a lot for her mouth on his. She tasted like wine and cinnamon, her breath coming in short gasps, her hands tangling in his hair. In that moment, when the fire was raging inside them, there way nothing missing. In fact there was way too much.

Booth broke the kiss so he could pull the quilt from her satin clad body. She had taken to wearing silky nighties to bed as of late, another fact that often crept up into his daydreams. He would sit at his desk ,while Perotta rambled on and on, thinking about touching her, about her responses to him. He thought about the sounds that she made when he nipped at her ear, or the whimper she made when he ran his burning tongue down her cool throat and over her breast, across her flat stomach and down. He could hear the way she called him name out as he pushed into the very core of her. It was not uncommon, especially as of late, that he would need to excuse himself from the room while he go his libido in check.

Of course here, in the sanctity of their bedroom, he could do those things. He loved the way her scent would linger on him long after they had basked in the afterglow of lovemaking. Everything about her invited him in, made him feel more like a man. She made him whole in so many ways, that the idea of something in their marriage missing was just unfathomable. Yet in the back of his mind, yelled a tiny voice. One that reminded him there was something he needed, something he refused to let surface, frightened of what that might be.


	7. Chapter 7

7

It was late. Later than Brennan knew it should be, staring over the bones before her, waiting for them to tell her a story. This was perhaps the most crucial story she would ever have to uncover and the pressure seemed unbearable at times. There was something about family that made it to difficult for her to remain subjective and keep her focus.

This was new for her, the lack of ability to detach herself from the situation, letting in the possibility of pain. She had become soft. The thought made her smile for just the briefest of moments. She had the image of Booth leaning over her, smiling down with his charming gaze and his brilliant eyes. There would be laughter in his voice when he said it, whispering it only to her.

"_You've gone soft, Bones." _

It was his voice fueling her inner monologue, not her own. He was always with her, just a reach away. She could felt his presence in everything she did, saw his eyes in the faces of their children, built her whole world around him. So why, after all these year, from the fighting and the longing to the happiness and the family time did she feel like something was gone. There was a spark that was just not lighting. She did not want to leave him, she loved him more than anything in the world. Something was missing though, something that had slowly faded, making it harder to put her finger on.

She was distracted again. The knowledge was making her angry, her lack of focus on the task at hand was counter productive to the case, only hindering its resolution that much more. She shook her head, pulling her gloves off and glancing at her watch. It was well after nine-thirty, Booth would be wondering where she was, if not well on his way to come and get her. Shaking her head she covered the remains, then left the bone room making her way to her new office. It had once been Zach's space, her trusted assistant whom had let logic turn on him, leaving him in a psychiatric hospital. Working there felt like a good way to honor him and his brilliant work.

Wendell had taken over her office several years ago, and she was not here to take it back. This was purely a trial run, to see if she even wanted this lifestyle again. Of course the answer to the question was already answered, she was just not ready to face the conclusion just yet.

"Dr. Brennan?" Cam's voice startled her causing her to jump a little as she stopped.

"Cam," She said placing her hand over her heart.

"I apologize for startling you; I just wanted to give you this on my way out. I had intended to leave it for you, assuming that you would already be at home." Cam said, placing a large, well wrapped box into Brennan's arms.

"What is this?" She asked, looking startled.

"Consider it a gift from the entire lab." Cam said with a smile as she turned to leave. "Oh, and Dr. Brennan?"

She looked up, raising her eyebrows in question.

"Welcome home." Then cam was gone, only the clicking of her heels against the floor could be heard in the emptiness of the lab.

She carried the large box, the rest of the way to her office, sitting at her desk and looking it over cautiously. With dexterous fingers she slowly and meticulously extracted the silver wrapping paper to expose a brown box with Cam's name and the Lab's address on it. She recognized the Logo of the company it had come from, it was the same one that made all of the embroidered garments for the museum.

Opening it she found a lab coat, still folded and covered in plastic, just like the one she had on, the one she had always worn. This particular lab coat, while it was the same color and size, was different. Above the right breast pocket were several freshly embroidered words.

_'Dr. Temperance Brennan-Booth'_

Brennan smiled at the coat, touched by the gesture. She was being welcomed back into a family, into her family. For that moment she could not even remember why she had left. She knew that the hardest part from here on out would not be her lack of focus; it would be restoring her balances so that one family could be a part of the other.

She picked up the empty remnants of box and discarded them, before hanging her new lab coat over her chair. Picking up her large bag she pulled out her cell phone and hit the send but, calling home as she made her way out of the lab.

************

Perotta was sitting at the Booth's kitchen table, the open file in front of her. Crime scene photos, eye witness statements, preliminary autopsy findings, it was all there, but something was not adding up. She had studied the body a little herself, having been in the lab earlier that day, trying her best to stay out of the way. She still had no cause of death, and without that they had no hope of solving this case.

When they had reached the Booth's home it had been around nine thirty, coming in from questioning a suspect just a few miles away. Pulling into their large three car garage he had verbalized his thoughts, indicating that empty spot where his wife's car should be. It had irked Perotta, though she had no idea why.

There was a time, not that long ago when she had believed him to be interested in her. He had been so flirty all the time, his eyes twinkling in her direction. She had thought that just maybe the rumors floating around the building were a lie and that he was not shacking up with his brilliant partner.

Though they may have been correct at that moment, they did not remain so for much longer. She had watched him from afar, seen him fall deeper in love with the woman that everyone around him already knew he was a goner for. Deciding it was for the best she let that ship sail, figuring that Brennan would always have one up on her.

Of course that had all gone to shit when Cullen had placed her as the new Brennan. That moment had changed her world, redirecting her unrequited love, making her see what Brennan saw. It was hard not to love a man like Booth; he was kind and understanding with endless compassion. He was a strong partner who was always there for her, watching her back in the line of duty. She trusted him completely; it was hard not to fall for someone like that.

Her love for him had grown over time, the way all good love does, making him more than just another good guy off the market. It was later, say a year into their partnership, that she realized one morning there was a scathing jealousy inside her over his marriage to Brennan. If she had not been second in command, if she had gotten to him before he became a liaison to the Jeffersonian, would this house be hers today?

It was thoughts like that, which left her wanting to smack the brilliant doctor every time she saw her. It may be a sin to covet something so much, but it was one indulgence that Peyton Perotta allowed.

"Booth!"

_'Speak of the devil.'_ Perotta thought, as the good doctors voice flooded the room, wiping away any shred of comfort the blonde had maintained.

"We are in here!" Booth's voice was a little lower, aiming directly to the kitchen, rather than out amongst the whole first floor, the way Brennan's had.

"Hello Agent Perotta. Booth, what's going on?" She asked in what Perotta could only assume was defensiveness.

"We are trying to see if there was something in the reports we missed." Booth said, jumping up from his chair and going to greet his wife. Perotta looked away as he leaned in for a light kiss.

"I was doing the same thing at the lab." She said, a frown coming over her delicate features.

"Find anything?"

"No. Cam said there was nothing in his tox screen and there are no unusual anomalies in his bones, other than those congruent to his age and size." She said, shrugging off her coat and making her way back to the kitchen. Perotta just watched her, moving lithely around the counters, filling a pot with water and setting it on the stove.

" Would either of you like anything?" She asked, rudimentary politeness taking her over.

"No thank you Dr. Brennan, I have something." Perotta spoke for the first time, holding up her nearly full bottle of beer.

" I'm good, Bones. Hey have you eaten yet?" Booth asked, taking his seat by his own bottle of beer.

" Not since…" Brennan stopped a look crossing her face that Perotta did not recognize. " Breakfast?"

"Let's order take out, it looks like it's going to be a long night." Perotta said, her own stomach starting to growl.

"By the time it gets her we will all be ready to pack up and go to bed." Booth said shaking his head in amusement.

"I must admit that was a flaw we did not think of when we moved into the woods." Brennan said taking a sip of her tea and pulling a photo out of the file.

"So what do we do?" Perotta asked a hint annoyance in her voice.

" There is frozen Pizza in the kitchen, I will go ahead and set the oven." Brennan responded, standing up from her chair and making her way to the open kitchen.

Perotta continued to watch her move about, making a snack for them to fuel their brains. She could not help but get the feeling that she was watching this woman live her life. It was life that had taken over her dreams for the last year, the ones that made politeness that much harder. Sighing she got back to her file, but the hurt she was feeling did not go away, in fact if anything it only intensified.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Angela's eyes opened to darkness. She was groggy and disoriented, her eyes flickering to the bedside clock, the red numbers not making sense. A few more glances back to reality and she realized it was after three am. Her first instinct was to pull the covers back over her head and sink deeper into the empty slumber she had awakened from.

A more urgent and stronger need forced her to throw the warmth of the fleece and down from her body, signaling for her to relieve herself. Her bare feet padded across the cold hardwood of the spare room and down the hallway to the restroom.

After taking care of her biological needs she walked towards the floating stairwell, making her way down into the silent house. There were still lights on, the soft sound of the low TV breaking the silence she had earlier encountered on the second level of the house.

She entered the room, her eyes landing on the trio at the table, exchanging files and reading them intently. Perhaps the bedside clock had been wrong, perhaps it was not nearly so late, she thought at she glanced at the clock on the cable box. Still it read after three.

"Brennan?" her voice caused all three heads to look in her direction, seeing the startled expression on them.

"Angela, what are you doing up?" Her best friend asked, concern flicking through her blue eyes.

" I should ask you the same thing, you appear to be hard at the grindstone." Angela said, taking a seat at the end of the table, running a nervous hand through her messy hair.

"We are looking for anything that we missed in the reports." Booth said, holding up a folder for emphasis.

"It is after three AM," She said.

" We are not resting till we solve this." Brennan said with a conviction she had not heard before.

" Why?" Her mind was still fuzzy and as far as she knew they should be in bed.

"You did it for me once," Brennan said quietly, her thoughts going back to the body of her mother, the answer to so many questions. She wanted Angela to have that closure, so it would not always be a hole in her chest.

"Thank you." Angela said with her gratitude raw on her features as she pulled her legs up under her.

" Well, I should probably get going, I doubt that I will be any good tonight as it is." Perotta said, standing and pushing her chair into the table. She was uncomfortable suddenly, the closeness of the people around her making her feel excluded.

Booth stood as well, ushering their guest to the door, saying a warm goodnight to her. He stood in the open doorway, watching, ensuring that she got to her car, which had been parked on the street since early the previous morning. He waited till she was inside and the vehicle had started before closing the door and making his way back to the women at the table.

Angela was sitting with a cup of tea; presumably one that Brennan had made for her. She looked tired, despite having just awoken, her eyes still looked heavy, and Booth wondered when the last time was that she had slept peacefully. Hell, he wondered about the last time he had slept peacefully. Ever since bringing Angela to stay with them, Brennan had been fitful at night, tossing and turning, waking him at all hours. Perhaps that was the reason for the slight disconnect they seemed to be having.

Walking over to his wife he placed his heavy hands on her shoulders, basking in the warmth of her, letting it relax away the tension in his heavy shoulders. This whole situation was starting to take its toll on everyone.

"We should all head to bed," Booth said, squeezing Brennan's shoulders lovingly.

"I guess a fresh start would be helpful." She said around a slight yawn. The room seemed blurry through her tired eyes as she stood up, pushing the chair in behind her. Only Angela remained with her full cup of tea and look of discontentment.

"If it's all the same I think I am going to hang out for awhile." She said nodding towards the steamy mug in her hands.

"Sweet Dreams, Ange." Booth said with a kind smile before ushering his wife from the room and up the stairs to retire for the night.

**********

The shrill ringing was irritating. Brennan slapped her hand on the alarm clock, attempting to silence it with no success. The electronic buzz continued, despite her perseverance. It was not until she heard the smooth bass of her husband's voice that the noise stopped. Her sleep-clouded mind did not process the words he spoke only the velvet of his tone as she lulled back to sleep.

His hands reached out, caressing her cheek, running their way down to the crevice where her shoulders met her neck. She basked in the warmth of his hands on her, inviting the tingling sensation they still left on her skin after all this time. He knew her body just as well as she did, knowing what buttons to push and when.

Still feigning sleep, she felt his breath on her ear as he leaned in, his lips moving against the strands of brown hair that rested there. " Bones," He said, the sound sending shivers down her spine.

Keeping her eyes closed she pressed against him, inviting the contact, trying to drive it forward, to make her intention clear, while giving him the illusion that she was still asleep.

"Come on Bones, we have a case." His breath blew at her hair as he spoke, rousing her beyond her desire, catapulting her into reality. Suddenly her blue eyes opened, her libido feeling as though someone had thrown ice water on it.

"What?" She asked her own voice indignant at being disturbed.

"There is a body; we have to go check it out." He responded, pulling away from her and sitting on the edge of his side if their bed. Using his hands he rubbed the sleep from his face, ending with sending his fingers through his tousled hair. She watched him, staring at the long lines of muscle in his back, following the curves down to his shapely rear end, still partially covered by the sheet.

He got up, as if to signal that she should follow, but something in her wanted to stay in the warm security of blankets and pillows, not to mention the slow fire he had started burning in her belly that had not hope of getting put out anytime soon. Groaning she slammed her hands down on the bed and sat up.

"Throwing a temper tantrum, Bones? That's very unlike you." Her eyes wandered to the naked man standing beside her bed, a hint of joking behind his brown eyes. He could read the frustration on her face, knowing exactly what his touch had done to her this morning. It made him hot; know that she was going to think about it all day, that the only way she would gain relief was if he chose to give it to her. She could tell both from the hint of humor in his voice and the physical evidence of his arousal, that he enjoyed it way too much.

" I am not throwing a tantrum. I am not a two year old. What time is it?" She huffed, feeling slight anger at him for holding out on her, even if the reason had to do with decomposing remains and a fragile crime scene.

" It's a little after nine-thirty."

" No wonder I am so tired." She said throwing the covers from her own silk clad body and getting out of the large four-poster California king.

" Well, if you are too tired." He shrugged as he leered at her.

" Oh for crying out loud, I'm getting in the shower." She huffed, stomping off to their bathroom and slamming the door behind her.

Once in the quiet of her large master bath she turned on the shower, letting the steam float around the room, fogging up the mirrors before stepping under the forceful spray. Even the force and heat of the water made her tremble, she needed to get through today. Later tonight, she could make Booth pay for waking her up so sweetly, for pressing buttons he had no intention of using. The mental image of herself hovering over him, making his eyes roll back into his head, gave her a Cheshire cat smile. She would take her sweet revenge with blissful release.

So lost in her thoughts she did not notice the change in temperature as Booth entered the shower. He was standing there watching her smirk at the steaming spray of water, turning her skin a pink rosy color. Her face was flushed, just the way it was when she came, her eyes closing just before she would call his name.

Suddenly those eyes were on his, holding his gaze as she ran her hands through her wet hair. The grin was still faxed on her face as she stepped forward, trying to make her way out of the shower. Booth blocked her exit, his own skin flushing as the scalding water beaded and ran down his perfect chest. She was facing him, her wet body pressed to his, her libido in full swing, regardless of what was waiting for her in the outside world. All she wanted was a little relief from the coil she felt tightening in the very core of her.

His lips were on her wet neck, licking away the droplets starting to pool in her collarbone. It felt like forever since they had been here, this turned on by each other, but holding back from something else. The tension in the air seemed to crush her, making it that much more painful.

Then, just as abruptly as it began the sensations stopped. Brennan was still pinned to the shower wall with water streaming down her body, still feeling unsatisfied and edgy, yet the embers within were no longer being stoaked. She felt cool air as he released her, allowing her to move past, desire burning in his eyes as well. She could tell he wanted it just a badly as she did, the physical evidence seemed overwhelming. Still he let her pass, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before closing the shower door and reaching for the faucet. Silently she slipped from the bathroom, not trusting her voice to speak as she did so.


	9. Chapter 9

9

The ride to the crime scene was tense, both only glancing at the other when they thought there was no danger of being caught. Of course when they were incorrect and their eyes met, they had a level of intensity that had not been there in years, not since they were able to consummate their marriage on a daily basis. It was exciting in a way, feeling the pangs of sexual tension again, longing with out having.

Booth pulled into a parking spot, still avoiding Brennan's gaze as she got out of the suburban. For just a moment he leaned his head against the steering wheel. He needed to get a hold of himself, this was a crime scene, and he needed to solve a murder. Much less the fact that he still had not solved the case of Angela's father.

He pulled the latch on his own door, allowing him to exit the vehicle and catch up with Brennan. She was crouched down over the skeleton, her eagle eyes taking in the surroundings, checking for surface evidence first.

"What do you think Bones?" he asked, watching her carefully matriculate her findings, the sexual tension forgotten for the moment.

"Male, I'd say mid-thirties. I'd estimate he's been out here for the better part of two weeks maybe? I won't have anything definitive until we get him back to the lab." She said, standing up and wiping her soggy hands on her plastic suit.

" Alright, let's ship it back to the Jeffersonian, cause that's what we do." Booth said making 'wrap it up' motions with his pen. " And Bones, wipe your feet off before you get back in the truck."

Brennan looked up at him with a sigh, shaking her head, before standing to follow him, her mind racing a thousand miles a minute. It was defiantly going to be a long day, and in her line of work long days came with the territory.

*********

Brennan walked through the halls of the Hoover building, file in hand. She knew she should have called, but she needed out of the lab for just a second. The day had been longer and more tedious than she had thought, her mind bouncing from one murder to the next. She of course blamed her lack of sleep on the burry way her eyes glazed over as she looked at the paper work.

Rounding the corner to her husband's office she found him talking to Perotta, a disturbed look on his face. For just a moment she waited, looking to see what they were talking about. It had been years since the deep twinge of jealousy crept up on her, but every now and then, even after all the logical reasoning, she felt like perhaps she was just a mediocre comparison to the blonde woman across from her.

Her presence did not go unnoticed for long, the second sense about her that Booth seemed to have forced him to look up, his eyes meeting hers, filling with the same tension from earlier in the day. "Bones?" His voice sounded welcoming around the questioning glance.

"Hodgins found something." She said, indicating the file in her hands.

"What is it?" Perotta asked, her own suspicion intrigued.

"There was microscopic grit in the victim's shoes. It matched the grit on the bottom of Angela's father's shoes." She said, taking seat next to Perotta in the other chair.

" So the two murders are related." Booth summarized.

" I am not comfortable with that assessment." Brennan said handing over the file.

" But both of the victims were in the same place." Perotta said, trying to piece the evidence in a way that Brennan would be comfortable with.

"Yes, shortly before their death."

"And what are the odds that you find two murder victims that had been in the same place without the crimes being related?"

" Slim but not improbable." She said crossing her legs and looking at Booth, waiting for him to challenge her.

"Bones, this seems pretty air tight to me." He said rubbing his temples in his hands. He could feel the headache from his lack of caffeine setting in. It was not until Perotta's phone went off that he looked up again, first at her then to his wife.

"Shit, Booth, I have to go." Perotta said waiving the offensive object in the air before making a hasty retreat.

" You know if I did not know any better I would say that she had that set up." Booth said shaking his head again.

" I don't understand." Brennan said, scrunching her eyebrows.

" It's nothing. So they were in the same place shortly before time of death but that's just a strange coincidence." He said with sarcasm.

"No, but there are no other ties linking the two men. They did not know of each other, how could their deaths be related?" She asked, looking up at him. " We do not even know where this place is, it could be a very highly populated area."

"Or they are related." He pressed, knowing that he was about to trigger her defense system. In the blink of an eye she out of the chair and hovering next to him, a fire in her eyes that he had missed.

" What tells you that, Booth, your gut? Because the last time I checked that was not a reliable resource of information." She said poking her finger at his mid section.

" I would call it an intuitive leap based on the information you shared with me." He said leaning in, ready to fire right back. There was warmth in him that he had not felt in several years, a rush that he did not understand. He liked it though, almost as much as he had liked kissing her neck in the shower, or watching her throw a mini tantrum in their bed earlier.

"You mean a guess." She said, leaning in so close he could feel her breath on his face. He realized then that the warmth was not anger, it was his libido kicking into high gear. He was not angry, but rather incredibly turned on by the fireball in front of him. Reaching out he steadied her face with his hands, forcing her to look at him, holding her still.

"I mean a fact." He said before pulling her lips to his and silencing the argument once and for all.

**********

Meanwhile…

Angela rushed to the door, hoping to catch it before whoever was there woke Michael up from his nap. He had been fussy today, and the only thing that seemed to silence him was a little story time preceded by sleep. He had only been out for about ten minutes, when the doorbell had echoed through the house, summoning her.

She took off like a bat out of hell, trying to answer the door before a second ring was required. In record time she threw it open, finding Wendell standing on the other side, nervously fiddling with a cookie bouquet. Smiling with false warmth she had not felt in weeks she ushered him in, allowing him to pass.

" Sorry to drop in like this, " He said looking at her with kind eyes.

"It's no problem. I just got Michael down for a nap though, so we have to be quiet." She responded, leading the way into the living room.

" Wow." He said looking around at the high ceilings and intricate windows. "We certainly did not have these back in the neighborhood."

"I admit it is a bit much, but I can see why Brennan picked it. It's really peaceful out here." She said with a smile.

" Is it helping?" He asked, a little sheepishly.

" I guess. At least watching Michael keeps my mind off of things for a while. There is something therapeutic about children. They are so innocent and happy you can't help not feeling better around them. Can I get you anything?" She asked motioning to the kitchen.

"No, I'm alright. I just came by as the official delivery man." Wendell said as he thrust the bouquet into her waiting hands. " We all wanted you to know that we are thinking about you, we miss you."

Angela was touched, not only were they working all night to solve her father's murder but they were still thinking about her as well. They were worried about her, someone was worried about her. The thought brought her far more joy than she thought possible in her current state.

"I miss you," Wendell's voice shook a little as he whispered the last part, causing her head to snap up. She had not forgotten their night, but it seemed like eons ago in a land far away. She had not told anyone, perhaps trying to understand it for herself, then pushed that aside with her father's death.

"Wendell…" She started, feeling like it was not the time or the place for the discussion she knew was looming. The tension was there, she could feel it building, forming a lump in her throat.

"It's okay Angie, I understand. I would not expect our little tryst to rate high on your list of priorities at the moment." He was there suddenly, invading her personal space, clouding her thoughts, pushing away everything other than the delicious smell of him assaulting her senses.

Her mind let go, for just a second, of the pain and the heartbreak, only able to focus on the feelings in her chest, the way her heartbeat picked up, her breath came in small pants, her pupils dilated. Graphic images flashed through her mind, reminding her of the moments they had spent devouring each other in passion. She shivered at the slight heat moving through her, making her tremble with need for something other than release. Her thoughts from the other night came back, reminding her that she needed to feel something more than the pain she was dealing with.

"It's not that I haven't thought about it, I just, I can't take to many risks right now." She said, her voice low.

"Am I a risk, Angie?" He was inches from her face and she could feel his warm sweet breath on her face. It turned her on in spite of her better judgment, allowing her body to react for her.

"You could be a real heartbreaker, Wendell. I'm not sure I have the strength right now to find out." She said, her lips leaning towards his.

"Always treat a lady well and you will die a happy man. My mama told me that, she was a brilliant woman." He said before capturing her lips with his own, his fingers tangling in her long brown waves, pulling her a close as she could get.

******

Brennan broke the kiss first, stunned at her reaction. She was hot and bothered beyond belief, wondering what had changed. The something missing was gone, instead filled by the lusty rage her husband had evoked. She had been grasping at straws all day, trying to quell the urge to walk into his office, lock the door and take him on his desk. Feeling even more like a hormonal teenager she glanced at the open door the up to his darkened eyes.

The carnal desire in them cut right to her stomach, igniting the fire inside causing it to burn through her limbs. He moved like lightening, slamming the door, locking it behind him before she had even registered his movements. He was at her side, reaching out, taking her face in his hands, pulling her to him far more roughly than usual. He had and urgency that had not been there since the very first time they had ever made love. There was a longing there, one that had not manifested since the early days of their partnership, when they spent hours on end fighting their attraction to each other.

His mouth crushed her, his tongue running along her swollen bottom lip, waiting for permission to enter. She grabbed his collar pulling him to her, the way she had in their first kiss long before kissing Booth became okay. He took the cue without hesitation, opening her mouth with a groan, wanting to get closer, wanting the be inside her. This was going back to basics for them, back to a time when the desire was the only thing they connected with.

*****

Angela's chest heaved with heavy pants as Wendell released her. She had expected it, seen it coming, but was unprepared for the way it made her feel. Her desire sprang into high gear almost instantaneously and she knew that there was no quelling it without taking this thing all the way.

He backed away from her though, looking at her with dark eyes. Torment clouded his face as he put space between them, trying to clear both of their minds. This was not right, not the reason to take things to a level they did not need to be at. He wanted it, more than he wanted to take his next breath. The images of their night together, it taunted him, flashing in his dreams leaving him achy and needy in the night.

As he watched her now he knew this memory would haunt him to, the way her swollen lips fit with her flushed cheeks, her hair messy from his hands working through it. Knowing that he had done this to her, that he made her feel something other than the distress her father's death had cloaked her with, it made him feel powerful.

"I'm sorry, Wendell, I don't know what-" He held up his hand silencing her, not trusting his voice just yet.

She just looked at him, her own desire evident. He was not mistaken about it, or about the fact that if he went to her she would not tell him no. In fact part of him wondered if that was what she needed. The fact was though, she had been in charge, from the very first touch of their lips she had led the way. Her head cocked to one side as a look of question crossed her brilliant features. He would have given every cent he had ever earned to know what she was thinking.

It was then that the gods opened the floodgates, she was there, her arms around him, her mouth on his. He could feel her hot breath in his own mouth, tasting her on him, remembering it from before. This was not right though, he had to be sure.

"Wait, Angie. Are you sure?" She answered him with another kiss, silencing him for a moment.

" What about Michael?" He asked breaking their contact once more. He had to know that this was with out a doubt alright before taking the leap. There was no going back once he crossed that line.

"He's asleep." She said, reconnecting to him once more. This time he did not fight it.

***********

"Booth…" Her moans made him harder than he could ever remember being in his entire life. Leaning back in the large desk chair that he always sat in, he pulled her bottom closer to him, pressing into her straddled legs with urgency. Reaching out he pulled at the hem of her skirt, tugging it upwards tracing her now bare legs as he went. He felt her flesh pebble in tiny goose bumps as the cold air followed his feather light touches. Her tights and Boots lay on the floor beside them, his tie was strewn about somewhere. None of that mattered though, it was too much clothing as it was.

He hooked his fingers around the tiny strings of her thong wondering how he had missed her putting that on this morning. Perhaps he would need to pay better attention when she was dressing for her day. He wondered what other little treasures he could find under the crisp scientist exterior.

************

Angela clawed at the polo covering Wendell's upper body as he eased her back on the couch. The need, the want, it was intense, over taking anything else. She wanted to feel him in her, to forget anything but his crushing weight on her as he brought her off.

It was quick, not long and lovingly drawn out, just… fast. One moment he was hovering about her, kissing his way down her body, taking her breast in his mouth, the next he was inside her, pounding hard and fast, taking away the hole in her heart and filling it with need and desire, just the way she liked it.

***********

Brennan came hard, her whole body shaking in Booth's arms as her head feel into the crevice where his neck met his shoulders. She whimpered with the force, calling out his name, bringing him with her before her exit into the afterglow. She was panting against him, his arms supporting her weak frame.

"I think we are going to break the chair." His rough voice broke the silence.

"There are always casualties in war." She laughed, her body still shaking against his sweat slicked chest.

"Just to be clear, who won this particular argument?" He asked, his own laughter rumbling low within him.

"I am very generously going to call it a draw."

"That's kind of you, Bones. You are not getting soft on me are you?" He asked with teasing in his eyes. She lifted her head to look at him, eyeing him with a soft smile.

"Would I do that to you, Booth?" She asked before moving to get up from his lap, hoping her wobbly legs would support her.

"Baby, if you look like that afterwards you can do anything you want to me, anytime you want." He leered at her as he went to button up his shirt with still shaky fingers.

**********

Angela fell against Wendell, her breathing ragged as her body returned too normal. She lay there on the slick leather of the Booth's couch in a varied state of undress waiting for the return of her demons. At least for the moment, they were at bay. The only thing she could think about was Wendell's hands running lightly up and down her back in a comforting motion.

She felt like a child then, seeking the comfort of someone older and wiser than her, looking to find strength in him. For the first time since doing the sketch in her office she had a sense of peace and clarity, no matter how briefly it would last.

The world was floating back around them, righting its self and the disheveled mess they had left in their wake. As reality filtered back she moved away from him, pulling on her sweater and sitting up. Once more she had turned to passion to give her a connection that she needed, but knew that it would go no further. She did not have anything left to give him, and he held the world in his very capable hands.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Booth sat at his desk several hours later, long after the scent of sex had faded in the air. He twisted around in his seat reaching to grab the file Brennan had left him. A small smile twitched his lips as he thought about the trouble the little piles of papers had caused. If only every file could have that effect.

Brennan was a magnificent creature all the time, the way she could size up remains with ease was shocking. Her true element though, was in their bedroom. He loved to watch her come, the way her eyes would flutter shut and her voice seemed to explode from deep within her.

Shaking his head he opened the manila folder to look at its contents. He would never get anything done if he kept having graphic flashbacks to their little meeting this afternoon. She had left the file on his desk before heading back to the lab, the same Cheshire cat smile on her face that she'd worn in the shower earlier that morning.

He had an overwhelming sense of calm, one that he had carried with him since she had come in his arms, trembling under the power of something only he could give her. It was something that he hand not felt since the night in her office, the night they conceived their son. She had been right about something missing the other day, there was a feral force they had lacked for far too long.

Their intimate life together had always been adequate, never leaving him wondering to others for it. He was always contented with their bedroom antics, which due to work and parenthood, had slacked off a little. There was a part of him though, one that had been in this room today, that missed the little fireball in his lap. He missed her lack of inhibition, her intuition of what to do and when. He missed the thrill of her body, fearless against his. And, while he was not sure what had led to the fireworks between them, he certainly hoped that they would continue.

********

Angela had let Wendell out before going to check on Michael. He was still out cold. Shaking her head she closed his door and made her way to the kitchen, she needed some tea and time to think about things. It had been almost a month since her life had shattered at the seams, leaving her helpless and on leave from the real world. In the course of that month she had sought refuge in the Booth's warm and loving home, hiding from the severity of things.

Now she was not only hiding out in the woods but also she was turning to the arms of another, trying to erase the pain without having to feel it. She had been successful in that endeavor, at least for the moment. That was all she needed, to live in the moment.

If she strung enough moments together maybe a whole week would pass before she felt the knife in her gut again. She had broken up with lovers and been broken up with, yet none of that compared to knowing that she would never see her father's face at the holidays or catch him checking up on her silently from afar.

There was no one else out there loving her from the wings, the way he did. He had always let her fly free, only bolting her to the ground when she needed, something no other man had ever done for her. It broke her heart that no man ever would again.

*************

"Booth." He clicked on his cell phone, checking briefly to see what the caller ID said.

"It's me, I know what killed Angela's father." Brennan's voice flooded his mind, liquefying his attention span.

" What's that?" He asked trying to regain his focus, to push aside the memories flooding his mind.

"A chemical compound that he digested, it stopped his heart, killing him within a few hours." She said around the papers he could hear her rustling on the other end.

"What kind of compound?"

"We are not sure yet. We have also determined that the two cases are in fact connected. There were traces of the same compound on the hands of our other victim."

"So then I was right, they are related." Booth said, trying to keep his satisfaction out of his voice. He knew that gloating would only serve to annoy her, but that did not make his small victory any less sweet.

"Yes, I am comfortable with that analysis now." She responded clinically

" So then this guy has killed two people." Booth said in an attempt to confirm.

" No. I am still sifting through the evidence, but it appears that the second victim killed Angela's father. We are stilling waiting on an ID for him." She said, though he could hear the weariness in her voice.

" How is that possible, Bones?" Booth was confused.

" The compound that killed her father was homemade. The odds that both people would have the same compound with the same level of chemicals in it are improbable. It is more likely that our second victim made the chemical and then used it to poison the first."

" Bones, there is no motive there, that's the problem."

" I do not construct motives Booth, I just present you with the facts." She said. He could hear more papers rustling and then the whoosh of her breath as she exhaled lightly in to the receiver of her blackberry.

" Well, It looks like I have a house call to make, shall I pick you up?" He asked, his stomach tightened a little at the thought.

" I thought I was not allowed out in the field with you. Aren't you going to take Perotta?" She asked, surprise causing her voice to go up an octave.

" You are not coming with me as a cop, you are going to be emotional support." He said grabbing his keys from the desk and his coat from the hook.

" I don't know what that means."

" Someone will have to be there for Angela when I tell her I know who killed her father." He said making his way to the elevator. He listened, there was silence on the other end for an excessive amount of time.

" Pick me up." She said before disconnecting the call.


	11. Chapter 11

11

Angela looked up from her spot on the couch, the TV entrancing her suddenly. There on the trashy gossip show was a giant photo of her father's face followed by the year of his birth and death. Shit. Someone had leaked the story to the press.

Brennan had informed her that due to the sensitive nature of the case and her father's fame they were declining on releasing the details to the press. They feared that it would be more of a hindrance to the investigation. Trying to solve murders was hard enough when there were not reporters crawling all over the steps of the museum. She turned up the volume letting the reporters voice fill the room.

_" Sources are being scare about the details surrounding the cause of Gibbons death, but our hearts go out to the guitar genius' family. His only daughter, Angela Montenegro, who could not be reached for questioning, survives Gibbons. This is a truly sad day in the blues world…"_

"Oh this is not good." She said reaching for her phone, praying that Booth was not around when she told Brennan the bad news.

*****

Booth was fiddling with the dial on the radio in his SUV, trying to find something up beat. The last thing he wanted to think about was fact that they were going to have to bring back everything Angela had been dealing with. He knew that Brennan would allow him to tell her, sitting beside her as a friend not as an ongoing part of the investigation. She would let him talk in order to be kinder, more discrete with the details. The brilliant woman next to him had never learned the fine art of tact, and while that was one endearing quality in her that he adored, it would not do them any good at this point.

_" And in other new ZZ-top Guitarist, Billy Gibbons, was found dead almost two weeks ago. Local authorities are declining to release any information on the details surrounding his death or the finding of his autopsy. We send our wishes to his family and fans, this is a sad loss for blues world." _

Booth's hand froze, his eyes darting to the radio and then back to the road in a matter of seconds. Shit. Someone had leaked. He had worked very hard to keep the identity of Angela's father a secret, wanting to solve the case before the media frenzy broke loose.

"Booth, no one is supposed to know about this." Brennan's voice pulled him to reality, her face tinted with panic.

"No really?" He snapped, instantly regretting his biting tone.

"There is no need to take this out on me. I feel the best course of action would be to figure out where we go from here?" She responded to him with narrowing eyes.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to snap at you." The shrill ringing of his wife's blackberry, causing them both to jump just a little, suddenly drowned Booth's voice out.

"Brennan." She held the phone to her ear, the color on her face paling even more. "We know, it was on a local radio station. Yes. I know. All right, we are actually on our way to the house. I would say twenty minutes. Alright."

Taking the device out from under her hair she hung up, directing her deep blue eyes to Booth. He could tell from the way they seemed to shift colors that she was not happy.

"Who was that?"

"Angela, She was watching television with the boys and they had an announcement fairly close to the one we just heard. They even mentioned her name as the surviving family."

"Oh for fucks sake," Booth almost never swore since having Michael, and he had not dropped the f-bomb in even longer than that, but this was not going to help the case at all.

"What do we do?" there was no alarm in her voice at his out burst, just the calm clinical subjectivity that she reserved for the lab.

"Damage control I suppose. We should wait to tell Angela about anything else that we have found or will find. The less she know the better at this point, and also she cannot go home. The press will be all over her, trying to know what she knows."

"She can stay with us, I assumed she would till this was solved anyway." Brennan responded, turning to look out the window.

"We need to keep the fact that she is there a secret. You are to high profile as well, this is going to be tough." Booth reached out and placed a hand over her thigh, trying to re-assure her. Her only response was to pick up the blackberry and hit several buttons before placing it to her ear again and waiting.

"Who are you calling?" He asked, a puzzled look crossing his features.

" Cam," She said quietly. Booth re-focused his attention to the road while she waited.

"Dr. Saroyan," Cam's voice picked up on the second ring.

"Cam, it's Brennan. Someone leaked Angela's father's identity to the press. It is all over the news."

"What the… Who knows about this?" Cam's voice raised an octave in her ear.

"The leak? Booth, myself and Angela."

" Who knows about the identity in the first place?"

" The lab, Booth and Perotta, also Cullen would know because of the reports. As far as I know that is everyone, security clearance on this was key to keep it out of the press."

"Clearly that did a lot of good."

"That is not the issue anymore. Now we have to keep as many details as possible out of the press."

"What do you want to do about this?" Cam asked, trying to get some grounding with Brennan.

"Booth said that Angela can not go home, we have to keep her out of the press' eye until the case is resolved." A beep clicked in cutting through Brennan's response. "Hold on Angela is calling me again."

She clicked over, waiting for the other line to come through.

" Bren, we have a larger problem." Angela sounded rushed, her voice was breathy and the faint sound of the boys talking loudly appeared in the background.

"What is the matter?" She glanced at Booth who had remained silent the whole time, but was working on intently trying to split his focus from her to the road in a safe manner.

"There are about a dozen reporters outside the house, several of which followed Parker home from the bus." Brennan shook her head and covered the receiver, looking at Booth.

"Several reporters followed Parker home from the bus, Angela said that they are waiting outside the house." She whispered.

"What!" Booth was frantic, they were only about ten minutes away from the chaos at their doorstep and he had no clue what to do.

" Angela we will be there in a few minutes, keep the boys upstairs and away from the windows. I have Cam on the other line." Brennan looked stressed as she clicked over, thinking how the minutes had felt like seconds.

Finishing with Cam, they were already able to see the media frenzy in front of their large home. She was not used to such a large ordeal, shying from the public herself, staying in the safety of her lab and her home. Flashes of light went off, people stormed the door and crowded the driveway, only turning when Booth guided the large SUV down the winding drive.

"Get out of my way!" He yelled at mob through window. His annoyance was growing by the second and he could tell that Brennan was also uncomfortable. He was able to control his temper, using his sniper training to ease his mood, but at some point he would find out who had started all this, and they would pay.

" Just park here, we have to walk through them since they are blocking the garage." Brennan pointed to the mass surrounding the car.

"So help me I will shoot anyone that does not let me through." He said turning to look at her. She was reaching for the handle when he reached out to stay her hand. "We go together, you go first and I will follow. Do not say anything to anyone."

His gaze was serious and his eyes held the fire behind his temper as she nodded. Waiting for his cue before opening her door and making her break for it. Booth was there in an instant, leading her smaller body through the crowd, his broad shoulders taking the brunt of the arms reaching out to them. Time seemed to crawl as they made their way to the stoop, avoiding the flashes and the questions.

Then just as quickly as the whirlwind started, it stopped. The couple stood in the entryway, closing the door on the masses and turning to each other with a sigh. Booth looked angrier than she had seen him in a very long time, the flecks of red and gold creeping up around his chocolate irises.

"I'm calling the Bureau." Booth said before storming off, leaving her to go see what type of damage waited upstairs.

Tired and defeated Brennan climbed the large floating stairwell, making her way to her own bedroom. Her shoulders ached with new tension, the relief form her afternoon delight faded into the distance. This was not something she missed, the stress of finding the answers on a deadline. It was consuming and nerve wracking whenever it became to personal, and this was far to close for comfort.

Angela was sitting on the bed with Michael watching TV and looking overly agitated when Brennan opened the door. She looked up, the stress on her face easing a little when she saw her best friend.

"Hey." Her voice sounded strained as she tried to fake her calm.

"Are you alright?" Brennan knew that she wasn't, she had not been all right since any of this started and it was hard to watch someone else go through that pain. It was still buried deep within her, but she still know the great loss that Angela was faced with. If there was one thing that could come out of all of this she hoped it was that Ange would at least have a sense of closure that she never had.

"I'll live, I'm more worried about Parker. They pestered him all the way home from the bus stop and he was not happy about it." Angela shifted Michael in her lap as the toddler reached out towards Brennan.

"Booth is very angry about it. He is on the phone with Cullen now trying to get us some FBI surveillance to keep the reporters at bay and to escort Parker till this mess is all sorted out." She sat next to her friend, taking her son and hugging him tightly. Michael nestled his little head on her shoulder and sighed with contentment. At least one of them was at peace for the time being.

"Good, I can not even believe this, I mean who would violate protocol like that? They certainly do not deserve to work on cases."

"I have no Idea, Cam is working on a list of people who had access to the information." Neither woman said anything after that, the comfort of each other's company was enough to fill the empty silence they shared.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Bonding over Bears

Booth walked around the room lighting the rest of the candles. The table was set and dinner was served. He had even set out a bottle of sparkling grape juice to enhance the mood. This had to work; he could not take another day of her foul mood. Ever since Cam's call she had been almost unbearable. They had not had sex, everything he did seemed wrong, and she kept it so cold in the apartment that he spent most of his time under a blanket, his icy hand reach out every now and then to flip the channel.

He heard the door open and sighed with relief. If this did not put the spark back in their stressed out relationship, he was going to give up. From the small area in the kitchen he could see her, but she was unable to see him. She stomped around, her face set in a scowl. Now was the time to draw her attention to the set up that he had created if there was going to be any hope of saving the evening.

" Hey Bones, how are you feeling." She turned at the sound of his voice, stopping in her tracks to eye the creation before her. She could smell food cooking, wonderful scents that assaulted her nose, making her stomach rumble. She had a weakness for his cooking, it always seemed to right whatever wrong she was dealing with as of late.

" Something smells delicious" her eyes widened as he appeared before her, dressed in lounge pants and his favorite t-shirt.

" I thought you might like some time to unwind before dinner so if you wanted to grab a shower I left you some scented oils in the bathroom. Also I left a present for you on the bed. It was just something I found while I was out earlier today." For the first time in what felt like weeks she smiled.

" Thank you." She said, her face taking on a softer more relaxed expression.

"Anytime Beautiful." Booth said right in her ear with a smile. His plan was working perfectly, all he had to do was keep this up and the last two weeks would be mere memory. Brennan just smiled as she headed for their bedroom, kicking her heels of along the way.

It was not even twenty minutes later that she re-appeared, this time with tears in her cerulean eyes. She was clad in her satin robe; damp hair billowing down her back as the scent of jasmine followed her. In her hands she was clutching a little teddy bear with a cartoon skeleton on its tiny shirt.

" I found him at the store when I was picking up the oils. I thought he could be the first thing we buy for the baby. Hey now Princess, why are you crying?" Booth wrapped her in his arms crushing the stuffed animal between them.

" This is so sweet." She sniffed. It was hard to compartmentalize her emotions when they were so plentiful and changed so frequently, yet there was a part of her that was tired of hiding them. She wanted to feel the wonder and excitement that came from sharing the joy of parenthood. It was beginning to dawn on her that sharing her life with this man only made it more full. She may have been slow on the draw, but still it was better late than never.

Booth released her, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to meet his warm chocolate eyes. " You deserve this and much more," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her, the table of food forgotten as he pick her up and carried her to their bedroom.

A/N: Yeah I know it was fluffy and short, but I needed a chapter to sort of wrap up the Cam incident so I could advance the story, and I thought they needed a little sappiness at this point in their lives.

Love,

Delia


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The house was silent as Brennan climbed the large floating stairwell. Everyone had retired long ago, leaving her mind to wander as she sat in her study, working out the fuzzy details within. The conversation with Angela seemed to haunt her, picking at her resolve in a way that she did not understand.

She could pin point the fact that something did not fit; it was just her lack of ability to pull all the evidence together and make a clearer picture that bothered her. Booth had always made the "intuitive leaps" in their relationship. She would provide him with the physical evidence and he would use it to solve the case. That was why they were so successful, and why when separated they could only function at a fraction their true potential.

She made her way down the long dark hallway, running her hands along the cool painted walls till she reached the door to her own bedroom. The only sound upon her entry was the heavy even breathing of her partner, his form half covered and illuminated in a bath of soft yellow moonlight. She was a truly lucky woman, her eyes gazing over the strong muscles in his back and down his lean waistline to where the cool satin covered his perfect buttocks.

It never fell short of pure amazement for her, the way that even after all these years, seeing him still gave her that rush of slight adrenaline, causing her heart to beat a little quicker and her head to feel a little lighter. That response should have faded long ago, leaving her longing for it once more. Yet against all the reasoning he still left her just a little breathless.

She draped her satin robe over the chair before crawling into bed next to her best friend; it was just one of the many roles that Booth played in her life, saturating it with his presence and making it a genuinely better existence. She could feel the stir of his body as her movements pulled him from slumber. Though it had taken her far to long to get here, she hoped that it was where she would reside till the end of her days. Here, in the blissful confines of her home and within the warmth of her family.

"You are up late." His sleep-drenched voice pulled her from her self-reflections and put her into the reality of their situation.

"Yeah, I had a lot of work to do." She reached out, curling her body around his bare chest, sinking into his warm skin, melting against him like creamy butter.

"Are you happy being back in the game?" his chin wrinkled under him as he turned his gaze down to meet hers. Even in the darkness she could make out the warm teddy bear brown of the wide orbs.

"Yes and no." the answer was firm and definitive, confirming any of the uncertainty in her own mind.

"Mostly yes, though?"

"More than mostly, I really do love my work."

"But…" He prompted, knowing that she would talk with gentle prodding. He knew he so well, almost better than she knew herself. That used to scare her, now she found comfort and trust in it, believing that with him anything was possible.

"I find that my focus is more easily wavered, I am constantly darting back and forth between Matthew and the case, I do not know how to compartmentalize them appropriately." His only response was a brief chuckle.

"I'm serious Booth, I need to be able to do so in order to be more effective in the lab. That has to take precedence over everything." She was frustrated and his laughter only served to annoy her slightly.

"Bones, I have been waiting for the day you realized that not everything will not fit inside neat little boxes. You cannot hide from things forever. You have feelings, needs, wants and that is okay. We all have them." Booth ran his hands up her bare arms leaving a trail of Goosebumps on her flesh, wiping her irritation away as he went.

"I am still a professional, I just need to find my footing again." Her throat seemed to close slightly at his ministrations, the pounding of her heart getting louder in her ears.

"Again? Bones, you need to find it for the first time. You were so wrapped up in work for so long that you did not know how to do anything else. Then when you had Michael you became just as focused on him. Don't get me wrong, I think that taking time off to acclimate yourself with becoming a mother was good for you. The point is, you have never had to split your time or your interest before. It takes time to figure it all out." His hands had reached her face, softly caressing her cheeks, his fingers tangling in her short brown hair.

"That is not true, I split my time in the lab with my writing, a very successful venture I might add." She looked into his eyes, the amusement in them danced with the desire that clouded them.

"It's all window dressings, Baby. Either way your mind was still on anthropology." His eyes left hers, his lips pressing to the hollow of her throat, distracting her again.

"Booth, I can't think when you do that." She wanted to finish their talk, to analyze the situation and find a solution.

"It's kind of nice isn't it?" He asked, his mouth trailing down her throat to her collarbone.

"What," She breathed, his movement sending her body to that place she loved, just outside her reach.

"Losing control once in a while," his voice was like liquid honey as his breath slid over her skin, stopping her argument in her throat. His lips raised once more, coming up to claim her mouth with his, taking her over and invading her space. This was the most clarity she ever had. When they were together nothing seemed to be foggy and cloudy, just the crystalline image of what her life could and would be like as long as she shared it with this man. There was not point in resisting the urges, or fighting the dependency, it was already there, having formed with out her even realizing it. She threw had head back as he broke the kiss, moving beneath her, rolling her over. He weight pressed her into the soft mattress and pillows with a gentle firmness that was unique to him.

While she maintained her position that sex was in fact a purely biological urge, she had yet to ever find someone that acted on it quite as well as the man above her. He took his time when is was necessary, and relied on brute strength when she wanted it. Even when things had somewhat fizzled out for them, he was still successful in lighting that fire deep within her, causing it to rage from the inside out. It was not a case of whether or not she had the urges, it was the fact that he continued to deliver her satisfaction time and again.

He slid down her body, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses along the path of decent. His hands worked the silk covering her upwards while his mouth moved further and further south. She twitched beneath him, trying to find a comfortable position, trying to escape the slow burn that had spread through out her body.

Then it came with out warning, the explosion deep within. Heat and pressure seemed to collapse on the gentle nerves at the apex of her thighs, causing her to cry out as she teetered on the edge of her perverbial cliff.

"Shhh, if you can't be quiet I will have to stop." His voice entered her ears, but took forever to register into her mind.

"No please." It was all she could utter, her voice came out guttural and strained.

" Then you have to be a quiet girl." He said, before returning to his aforementioned task. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the fire returned, burning hotter than before. With every movement of his tongue sending the vibrations through her core and up her spin she shuddered, the more intense the feeling the higher she climbed. Her body seemed to float higher and higher towards the release that she so badly sought, yes there was just enough intensity to drive her mad. It feel like hours that she teetered there, biting her lips to keep the sounds from trespassing. It became harder and harder to control her self, to keep the involuntary noises at bay. She was so close to the edge of her own sanity that she could only think about her own release.

It was a release that she was not prepared for, one that crashed over her like a wave, cutting off her air supply, allowing only a faint squeak to echo through the walls of the room. The wave scooped her up and carried her home, leaving her in the slushy aftermath of her own climax. Her chest heaved as the blood rushed through her ears, drowning out everything else.

Moments later she could feel the homeostasis return to her limp and ravaged body. The trembling ceased and her eyes regained focus on the face in front of her. Booth was watching her, the look on his face conveyed his pride at his accomplishments, watching her recover from the things he had done to her. It unnerved her and amused her all at the same time, only serving the heighten her experience.

"Why are you grinning at me like that?" She asked, her voice still trembling a little.

"Just enjoying the view," He was cocky. Then again he always had been. If he were anyone else she would have smacked that look right off his face, but instead she relished in it, knowing that it was one of the greatest signs of affection he could bestowed on her.

"See anything you like?" She shifted as he rolled to her side, facing her, hoisting his head up on his hands.

"I think you already know the answer to that. I do have one question though?"

"What's that?"

"When did you learn pillow talk?" He smirked at her.

"I told you I was good in bed." She quipped back, keeping up with their quick pro quo.

"That has nothing to do with your social awkwardness, Bones." He smiled at her. She knew what he was doing, trying to rile her up, bait her in another satisfying game of cat and mouse. He liked it when they challenged each other, hell, they both did. She loved to watch his jaw clench when they argued over something menial, it was like foreplay.

"Perhaps I've just spent enough time in bed, to learn what is acceptable and what is not."

"I missed this." He admitted, his eyes casting downward for a moment.

"My awkwardness?" She asked, confusion scrunching up her face.

"No, Bones, the fighting." He said with a light laugh.

"I don't understand, you want to fight with me?" She looked at him, hoping that some sort of clarity would present its self.

" No, I miss our friendly yet competitive banter. You know, I call you a squint and you lecture me on every single inaccuracy about that before calling me a jock or stupid."

"You like when I am mean to you? Anthropologically that is considered a fetish." She said, tilting her head to the side, looking up into his eyes.

"No, what, no, we do not have a fetish. It's just, it reminds me of the old days, you know before it was okay to touch you." Booth rolled onto his back with a frustrated growl.

"You touched me all the time."

"Just forget it." He said, sounding slightly annoyed at her. It was then that the concept dawned on her.

"You were implying that our banter was a form of flirting and then later foreplay." She smiled knowing that he had mirrored her earlier thoughts.

"Way to take the magic out of it." He said from under his arm. She realized that her failure to pick up on the hinting had upset him, killing the mood.

Rolling over she ran her finger down his taut stomach, following the trail of dark hair southward, intent on reviving his earlier sentiments. It was then that he stopped her, his hand staying hers, pressing her fingers out till her palm rested on his abdominals.

"Not tonight." He said quietly in the darkness, the liquid honey tone rich and smooth as it encompassed her.

"Something tells that was not as satisfying for you as it was for me." She said, bring her lips closer to his ears, blowing her hot breath into them as she spoke.

"We have a long day tomorrow, we should make at least some attempt at sleep." He said, though she caught the hitch in his breath as she spoke. "You can owe me one."

A smile formed on her lips, bushing the sensitive lobes of his ears, easing her worry that he was upset with her for being so dense. "We both know that I always repay my debts."


End file.
